The Photo
by simply just being
Summary: T.K. Takaishi let out another agonized grunt and pulled his knees closer to his chest, slowly letting the breath come out. Inhale. Exhale. Count. That’s what Matt had told him… Too bad it wasn’t working. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. Finally?
1. Back Again 2

Not-so-standard disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or my shoelaces, just so you know.

_Italics are thoughts. GO ITALICS! YOU ROCK!_

(Ahem.) Please enjoy me revised version of said chapter… Or something like that. I think I revise stuff too much.

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&&Chapter One: Back Again&&

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&&Davis's Room, Thursday Morning&&

The boy's brown eyes gazed sadly on a faded photo in a basic wooden frame. The last he had of the days before… he didn't want to recall the details at the moment. It still hurt like a horrible gash in his chest.

Davis Motomiya still felt a bit weak every time he looked at the photo. The pain was always there, coursing through his shoulder, making his eyes sting. His vision always blurred through rapid tears when he looked at it, though he always saw the same thing: a laughing brunette with a sweet smile and warm blue eyes staring right back at him, sharing a joke with the boy who had taken her photo.

The picture drove a sick image into his mind every time – the haunting figure of a thin, deadened girl in a white hospital bed. Her soft hair was strewn about, her closed eyes and lifeless face gaunt.

_Tell me, genius, is this all a joke to you? How you made that stupid promise that you couldn't keep?_

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the setting in which it had all happened… The place that had completely turned his world upside down and had left him with nothing but fear and hatred. He'd never see Sarah laugh again. He'd never even see her smile. No matter how much he hated to admit it, the fact still remained, looming in sync with the throbbing in his arm.

The loud buzzing of an alarm wrenched him back into reality, as if he had been dumped in cold water. After scanning the messy room hastily for a few seconds, he realized it was the clock beside his bed yelling at him to get his bag together. He had the sick feeling that he was going to be late for school again - not that this was news to him. After all, he'd been late more times than he was actually on time. Quickly grabbing his bag, he set his goggles on his head ran out the door. He just hoped (in more ways than one) that history wouldn't repeat itself.

"Oh, man… I'm not going to make it!" Had the bell gone yet? He didn't remember it going off! Of course, he never remembered when it went off, whether it rung or not. He was in too much of a rush. He was always in too much of a rush. Late people were often like that - and Davis was certainly a late person. Kind of sad, really.

"Stupid bell..."he muttered under his breath, fiddling in aggravation with his locker combination. He could never remember how to open the darn thing and it cost him precious time every morning.

Quickly grabbing two rather heavy books and a binder, he sped to his classroom and hastily sat down at his desk. The momentum nearly knocked him over, and he struggled to get a hold of the desk. Bingo. The bell sounded just after he sat down. Davis breathed in sweet relief.

_Ah, the sweet nectars of victory._ It was certainly a miracle (by his standards, at least). He was off the hook this time.

The teacher appeared, giving a strict role call in her solid, steady tone. She always did so, acting as if every student were like disgusting guck on her shoe. Most people say she could knock a wombat off a tree with her voice alone – but that's another story.

Davis's mind slid back to the nightmare he'd had last night as he traced the marks on the pale wood with his finger. It wasn't the usual one that he'd had every now and then. No, it was something else entirely. One of those weird ones that really get under your skin; he'd dreamed that everyone on earth was yelling at him because he took their pie. Their **_pie_**. Honestly. He didn't even _like_ pie. Nor do I, but that's not really the point.

Most of his dreams never really made that much sense at all, now that he came to think of it - except one. That one nightmare was so vivid that it both shocked and amazed him every time, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He'd be shuddering all night. But that didn't matter at the moment.

His mind shifted back to his most recent dream. Everyone was yelling at him and he had no idea why.

_They're always yelling at me, _he thought, heaving a heavy but silent sigh, _whether or not it's even my fault. I always pretend that it doesn't faze me, but get real. I'm not stupid - I still hear what they're saying and I still get hurt. What have I ever done to them? I bust my butt for their lives everyday, but it's not like they give a damn anyway…_

He forced himself back to thinking on the dream, trying to remember the vague details that were slipping away through his hands like sand. What had it meant? His head had been pounding with a headache the size of the planet itself. Yes... That was it. And he simply got fed up with it and flew up and away into the quiet refuge of space. It was quiet up there. The place was relaxing and tranquil… For the moment, anyway. Then he started choking as his throat got smaller and smaller and he couldn't breathe and knew he was doomed to–

"Davis Motomiya! Are you planning to pay attention in this class or are you asking for a detention?" The teacher lashed out, having called the boy's name three or perhaps four times.

But like I said, Davis never paid attention to that. His face turned a pale fuchsia. _Oh crap. What a way to start the morning._

"Here," he called in a low voice, embarrassed. The kids around the classroom attempted to suppress their laughter, but a few sniggers broke through around him. It was typical of him, really.

He stared guiltily at the door, not being able to meet her glare, knowing she wouldn't excuse him.

"My room, 3:15. Be there, Mr. Motomiya," she sternly replied and continued on with the rest of the attendance. He suppressed a groan. He was always getting detention. But he couldn't risk getting in trouble again. Sadly, Davis focused on the text on the chalkboard, dull as it was. Then again, class was pretty much dull anyway. He looked over at Kari, her head tall and her eyes alert. How did she do it?

"Where've you been, Davis?" the blonde-haired boy beside him, T.K. Takaishi whispered over to him with a laugh, "Visiting the moon again?"

Davis gave a snort and nodded sarcastically. That was exactly where he was.

&&Lunch At The School&&

"Ughh, I hate this… It's all soggy…" Yolei Inoue grumbled, a finger resting in a bored way on her round glasses.

"Quit complaining, and pack your own lunch instead of bothering us about it all the time." Davis shot back at her, his shoulder throbbing slightly. He had to admit that it was a slight overreaction on his part. But his shoulder was hurting so god damn much...

"Don't you preach to me about complaining, your big empty head is usually the one doing all the whining around here!"

_Oh, MY head is big! You could pass yours off as a pinata! Just leave me alone, Inoue!_ The anger was building up inside him, threatening to erupt like lava from what had been a dorment volcano. The anger inside him had been pent up for so long... He could hardly stand it. He just needed it to get out - though he knew he wasn't really mad at Yolei.

He was mad at Sean. He loathed him. The fury and anguish he felt over that guy made him want to retch.

"You're the one who's always annoying anybody who comes your way, miss technical four-eyes!" He lashed out in response, yelling the first thing that he could think of.

"**_WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!_**"

Bolts of lightening shot between their eyes as they glared angrily at each other. Davis was just about to spit out another insult, but was stopped short.

"Break it up you two," Kari Kamiya cut in, eyeing them nervously and attempting to cool the two hot-heads down, "you're making me lose my appetite! So T.K., what's going on with your brother?"

Yolei and Davis could really brew up a storm, and they both always wanted to get the last word in. Or, insult, more like. Yolei could get pretty fierce, though; Kari didn't really want Davis getting hurt. It was mostly that she just wanted to eat in peace. So she changed the subject.

Davis turned to look at her, his anger diminishing. He could never stay mad – not with Kari cutting in, no matter what she thought of him. What was it about her? But he knew exactly what it was - her eyes. Her eyes reminded him of Sarah's. As he backed off, Yolei stuck her tongue out at him and he glared back in silence.

_Don't let her get to you... She just doesn't understand what's going on inside your head._

"Not much, actually. Apparently he's swamped with schoolwork. I kinda feel bad for him…" T.K. answered, gazing out a window nearby the digi-destineds' table and ignoring the two idiots sitting beside him. His tuneless voice was as dead as his expression.

His blue eyes wandered hopelessly, wishing that school would be closer to ending already. I think we all know that feeling; he was totally bored out of his mind. He wanted to get outside. He wanted to visit Patamon. He wanted to do something useful - not just sit around answering a bunch of questions that he'd never need to know about anyway.

Cody glanced between the digidestined children, trying to figure out a way to cheer them all up. It was always kind of hard, between the four of them. Then he had it. "Hey guys," he smiled brightly in a personal victory, "what say we head over to the digital world after school?"

Smiles were exchanged between all of them… then Davis gave a depressed sigh.

"What's wrong, Davis?" Cody noted his sad face, unhappily reminding himself that it just wasn't possible to please all of them. There was always something…

"I have detention, remember?" he tunelessly toyed with the straw in his white milk carton.

"Then just head up after. We'll meet you there." Cody was happy once again; it would all work out perfectly after all.

"Yeah sure… I'll join you after."

They didn't really seem to notice his lack of enthusiasm - not that he really wanted them to. Davis rested his head on his hand, shoving aside the piercing pain in his body. It was like lightening through him, but he'd been dealing with it all year. It was natural to him now… It was just inconsistent. Sometimes it'd be so weak that he'd forget about it completely; others he'd be so paralyzed that he'd fall to the floor and black out for days on end.

The others continued the conversation, but he wasn't really listening anymore. Davis was stubborn, and that's all there was to it. They all knew that. So why worry?

_Because I never told them what happened. The only one I ever told was Veemon. Besides, I can barely believe it happened myself._

&&Detention, Room 218&&

Davis sat numbly, glancing from the clock to the teacher, to the clock and out the window. Then to the clock again, and back over to the dusty window. You can imagine where this is going.

There was a heated soccer match outside and he longed to be out there playing with them. Soccer was what he enjoyed now more than anything else he could recall, and for good reason; nobody out there could hold a candle to him. Well, he guessed he could name a couple people… But that didn't really matter.

He glanced over to the teacher again, then back to the clock… counting the seconds… he closed his eyes. The pain in his left shoulder was getting stronger again and images flashed before his eyes like a vivid nightmare. He could see it clearer than anything. A snatch of the trees, one of his red-headed friends laughing up ahead in front of him, and then a scream sharper than anything…

He snapped his eyes back open, trying to still his racing heart. He didn't want to think about it. He couldn't think about it. Not here. Not now. He shifted in his chair. It had been 15 minutes. When was this torture going to end?

The teacher glanced at the clock, then at the boy sitting impatiently in front of her. She nodded. "You can go," she calmly told him, "but if you pull this again you'll be here longer next time."

He left the classroom eagerly and entered the halls. She closed the door after the boy, giving him a stern look before she crept back inside. "Finally," he muttered, rolling his eyes and staring out into the hall. He started walking to the computer room and held his hand to the wall, then buckled over gasping in pain.

His shoulder felt like there was a jagged knife in it, his whole being felt as if he were on fire. It was searing agony, he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't even stand up. It felt like claws were ripping at his arm viciously. He could see the images again, clear as day on a sheet of fiery red. Davis fell hard to the floor, clutching his shoulder, wishing it all away. He was shaking out of his own control. He just wanted it to stop; he wanted to get away from it. The enormity of it all was overwhelming.

_No... Just go away. Please, just go away. It hurts. It hurts so badly. Why... can't... I... forget... this... already?_

He felt the tears rolling down his cheeks, dropping over his lips with their salty scent. He lay there for what seemed an eternity as the seizing and the searing pain slowly lifted enough for him to be able to get up. He could barely walk. What was he going to do? How could he get back like this?

Still shaking, the boy leant against the wall with his right hand, taking determined but unsteady steps forward. His breathe was ragged and throaty, coming in and out in uneven gasps.

To his relief, he spotted the computer room and walked toward a glowing screen. He crawled toward it, meekly glancing around.

_Thank god... Nobody's here. But what do I do now?_

He didn't know if he was ready to enter the digital world, but he didn't want to waste any more time. His brown eyes glazed with tears of anticipated pain as he entered the gate.

&&The Digital World&&

"Why are we waiting here? He's taking forever!" Yolei was whining again, pacing back and forth in a restless mood. Hawkmon sat calmly on her shoulder and heaved a sigh.

"You know, she **_does_** have a point there…" T.K. muttered, watching Yolei as she stomped back and forth. Kari gave a laugh and his face formed a small smile. Salamon, Patamon and Armadillomon sat by their partners (with the exception of Veemon because Davis still wasn't there yet) taking turns informing the group about what had happened while they were gone. Which was basically squat. In a nutshell.

They glanced over to the new figure. A blinding bright light faded to reveal Davis (he had finally arrived)… who immediately tripped over his feet and fell on his face. He gave a groan.

Kari giggled lightly at the sight of him attempting to pick himself up and blushing furiously. "Smooth move, Davis. You're such a klutz! Ok, let's get a move on already! I can't wait to be back in the Digital World again! Oh, it's been too long!" She exclaimed in excitement, spinning around giddily.

Veemon rushed to Davis's side while the others started walking ahead. They had been delayed long enough and the excitement was rising. He pushed up at the ground, trying to get up, but fell down again with a grimace. It really hurt him. With Veemon's help (after a couple of tries) he managed to get himself into standing position. He was still wincing though; his shoulder was throbbing angrily after the fall and what had happened in the hallway.

"Are you ok, Davis?" Veemon asked in an agitated voice, his face full of worry, "You look like you're in pain…"

Davis started walking to catch up with the others and nodded slowly. "I'm ok," he answered in a low voice, "I just had a little mishap in the hallway. I must have pulled something... I really don't know." Davis and Veemon walked steadily, just a bit faster to catch up with the rest of the group, and stopped just short of them.

"What happened?" Veemon whispered with exceptional concern, noting by the tone of his voice that Davis didn't seem to want the others to hear.

"I was just walking past the lockers and my whole body seized. I fell down hard, Vee… I was worried I wouldn't be able to get myself up again."

Veemon's lower lip was trembling. He was downright scared then. "Are you going to tell June what happened?"

"No. I don't want her worrying. And I certainly don't want her knowing that I got another detention today."

"But Davis, you have to tell her! What if… What if it's serious?"

"I busted a bunch of nerves in my arm. What **_isn't_** serious, Vee?"

Veemon was looking nervous and unsure. He didn't seem comfortable with what Davis had said and kept looking at him like he'd collapse at any given moment. Shaking a bit, he forced himself to give a nod of understanding.

"Look at that!" Cody yelled, pointing ahead. A mass of screeming Yokomon were fleeing from the path of what seemed to be an angry and destructive Ogremon. There must have been more than one - why else would they be running like that?

"Oh..." Kari grimaced at the sight, her eyes looking over the petrified figures before her.

"C'mon Veemon! Let's kick some evil butt!" Davis grinned, running ahead with his battle face on.

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Please go ahead and rate or drop a comment on this newly revised revision or such, and perhaps tell me if there are any other chapters I should do as well. TBC! (Laughs maniacally…)

Thank you all!

Sincerely, sjb!


	2. Phone Call

I'm not one to be fazed by bad writing. I'm just one to faze others with my bad writing. LOL – sorry I don't think that came out right. Anyway, come to your own conclusions as I make up more of this story… CHAPTER TWO PEOPLE!

I didn't write my name – sjb – here. I didn't write the disclaimer – I don't own digimon – over there on that vase (though it is a true statement) and I certainly did not write that apparently I have mutilated Davis and my story is horrible (Cloaked Fox did that for me). But I did write everything you see below. Welcome to the second part.

Note to people who actually watch the show (because lord knows i don't): If the people sound out of character, feel free to comment. Just be respectable enough to tell me how to fix that. Or I might totally ignore you and keep going with what I had thought of before you commented. Gasp! GASP! SUPER GASP! so, enjoy! (laughs like a maniac)

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Chapter Two: Phone Call

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&& Motomiya Household&&

Davis was silent through dinner, slowly chewing his food and not tasting any of it. He had a lot on his mind – too much for even the prospect of food to cover up. He usually inhaled his food eagerly like an animal, making his sister laugh out loud when he started choking and sputtering. But not tonight. He just wasn't all there tonight.

His parents were out (his mom was working late and his dad was over somewhere in some town whose name he couldn't recall at the moment, waiting for a conference with some major investor or something) and June had ordered in pizza. Rather greasy pizza, but pizza nonetheless. While his sister was gobbling up her third slice, he just nibbled on his second, staring at a mirror on the wall across from him.

Inside his head, his conscience and his morale battled over whether or not he should tell Jun what had happened earlier that day. After a vigorous mental fight, his morale ended up winning; he decided not to bring it up. It would make her worry... and possibly call their mom which would cause a whole other problem. Besides, he was fine now!

_This is as good as it gets for me. I shouldn't bother her about it. _His shoulder left only a trace of discomfort, lighter than it had been all month.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, Davis…" She noted between mouthfuls of extra cheesy, pepperoni and veggie pizza. He just shrugged, hoping she wouldn't press the matter.

"Did anything happen today?" her tone was slightly knowing and slightly unnerved – like she could already tell that he was hiding something. Something important.

"Well?" she asked again, putting her slice down to stare at his eyes.

He shook his head, keeping his eyes focused on his mashed potatoes. She knew when people were lying. She knew it by their face. June was a complete expert at it, but he didn't want her to bring it up.

"Does it have something to do with Kari?" She edged with a giggle, elbowing him playfully in the ribs. But he just shrugged.

_If this was about Kari, _she concluded to herself, _he'd be blushing and making up excuses. He denies everything when it comes to her, even though it's painfully obvious._

"Davis…" she asked again, her tone concerned and serious, "did something happen?" Something in him gave in to her worried face. He nodded with a sigh.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she continued, biting her lip as he met her gaze.

He shuddered mutely… then he noticing the hurt in her eyes. He felt a horrible uneasiness building up from his stomach. Davis spoke out before he could stop himself.

"My shoulder seized in the hallway. I couldn't walk – I was totally paralyzed. June, I was scared that I…" his voice shook and his vision blurred with tears, "I was scared that I'd black out and there'd be nobody to help me." There was a sharp intake of breath beside him.

"Davis, I thought your shoulder healed already…" June's voice broke, and she stared at Davis with an intensity that scared him. She reached over and held him for a few moments in a tight hug. "I'll take you to the doctor tomorrow, alright? I'll write you a note for gym…"

"June, my shoulder's fine now… I don't need a note for gym." He tried not to let the panic show in his voice, but he was sure that she caught it anyway. She could always tell everything about him.

"If anyone asks, just say you hurt yourself playing soccer. I don't doubt that they'll believe that. Davis I want you to be careful with your arm. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

He understood exactly what she meant. With a sigh, he went back to nibbling on his slice of pizza. After a long, worried stare, her eyes drifted downwards and she returned to her food as well. They both had a silent but mutual agreement that neither of them wanted to press the matter further.

His face neutral, Davis took his plate to the kitchen and placed it in the sink. He then quickly went to his room and shut the door, tears forming in his eyes. It was a good thing Veemon had stayed in the Digital World – Davis wanted to be alone.

He fell face-first onto his bed, sobbing quietly. His pride would only let himself cry when he was alone, and only at night. He felt like a let-down as leader otherwise. What would the others say if they saw him crying like this?

"Davis, you're such a crybaby… learn to get a hold of yourself!" he could just imagine Yolei saying, taunting him in an icy tone.

_But I can't, _he sobbed, _and I don't know why!_

His blurry vision fell once again onto the picture in the wooden frame. Sarah's picture. He couldn't even remember what it had been like to kiss her, to touch her face… She was so far away from him now, no matter how close she seemed.

_What went wrong! It was so perfect!_ Davis shuddered and hiccupped through his tears.

_It just wasn't supposed to be like this! I gave her a promise to always protect her, so why can't I be by her side? Why couldn't I save her? Why is it so painful to see her in that stiff, white hospital bed!_

He had fallen so deeply in love with her… And for some crazy reason she fell for him as well. And Davis liked that. It was sweet and so innocent. When did things go so wrong? It couldn't last. It was too good to last. With the speed of a train, it was all whisked away in horrible anguish. He still felt the pain with every fiber of his being.

Somewhere between his thoughts, Davis drifted off into an uneasy sleep. His last thought was; _I'm going to see her tomorrow. I have to be there for her when nobody else is._

&&School, The Next Day&&

He was smiling again, but for Davis it felt forced. He acted happy, while he was really crying inside. Only June would really pay enough attention to see right through what he was doing.

He opened the gym doors, staring at the wide gymnasium. He could see some of the slower kids heading in a hurry to the change rooms (some darting out from behind him), while practically everyone else was warming up on the gym floor. Off by the side was his gym teacher in sweats and a baggy grey T-shirt.

Heaving a sigh, Davis handed him a note (not even bothering to look at him) and sunk down on a wooden bench by the door. The teacher nodded at him and the smile on Davis's face faded. He stared longingly at everybody else who was participating.

_Stupid June. This is torture. Why did you have to butt into my business? _He looked around and was startled to see T.K. staring at him in confusion.

_What's up with him? He's sure been acting weird lately…_T.K. wondered, leaving the warm-up circle.

"What happened?" He came over to ask his seated friend, "Did you hurt yourself playing soccer?" He gave a laugh, but stopped abruptly when the boy nodded at him. Davis looked away at some of the other kids doing the warm-up. T.K. just shook his head with a smile on his face, but he was a bit uneasy. Davis really seemed unhappy about it.

"That Davis…" he whispered to himself as he walked away to join the other kids again, "He's really something."

_Basketball. This is SO not fair. T.K.'s gonna show off with an ego the size of his big head! Someone needs to cut him down to size._

He winced. His shoulder was starting to act up again. It was pulsing like it had a heart-beat of its own. Then he realized something. He should call June…

"Can I go to the office?" Davis stepped up to ask the teacher, who was currently blowing his whistle at a foul. He nodded mutely, his attention still on the game.

Yolei, sitting on the sidelines, saw Davis leave the gym. But what stunned her even more was the pained look on his face and the way he clutched his shoulder.

"What the…" She whispered to herself, staring at the orange double doors. The teacher came over and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, taking her mind off of what had just happened. He didn't seem to notice what she'd been staring at a moment before.

"Yolei, would you mind taking this announcement down to the office?" He had just given her a great idea. She nodded, a smile forming on her face.

_Now I can go see what Davis is up to… A little black-mail might just make up for him calling me a technical four-eyes yesterday, _She thought, pushing at one of the doors and heading down the hall. The dim light reflected off of her glasses as she peered around looking for him. _Now where did he get to…?_

Entering the office, she spotted him dialing a number on the phone behind a large brown desk. She pretended to be waiting patiently for somebody in the office to come over, while quietly listening to what Davis was saying on the phone.

"June, I think I should come home…" He didn't seem to notice Yolei standing there, pretending to peer at the notice board, "It's black and blue… It looked like it did when the bullet was still in there…"

_What? Bullet? Black and blue? What on Earth is he talking about?_

"No, no, no… well, yeah……. Geez, you already took all the fun out of school… what! God… I honestly think you're the messed up one…" he gave a laugh and raised his head. His smile vanished in less than a split second.

One of the ladies came over. "Can I help you, young lady?" Yolei nodded, eyes flicking to the boy on the phone while acting completely innocent. She nodded.

"My teacher wanted me to give you this announcement…" Yolei informed her, handing over the small slip of paper. The lady nodded and Yolei took one last glance at Davis before she left to go back to gym.

Davis just stood there agape. Then he realized (with the help of his sister screaming in his ear) that June was still on the other line. "What? Yeah, I'm here… Ok… I'll see you then. Bye."

_I got my info, but I think I should talk to T.K. about this…What WAS he talking about! _The girl opened the door again, thinking over what she had just witnessed, as if it was so kind of puzzle she'd need to piece together. Sighing, she took her seat on the sidelines, watching somebody on the opposite team score a basket.

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To be continued. Very much so.

Sincerely, -simply just being-


	3. Blackout

"Hi everybody!" "Hi, Doctor Fred!"

Response to reviews (no matter how odd this seems to me):

No, I don't intend to kill him off… Because that would be just plain ridiculous. Like I said, the story was intended to fit in with the rest of that season - and, well, killing him off just wouldn't make any sense there. Would it? I have no idea. So most likely he won't die… I think. I hope. Uh….! Just keep reading please. o0 As for him ending up with someone - I think I'll leave that to be discovered. In other words there is a 50 probability that he will end up with someone, and it's equally likely that he won't. (Did I just apply what I'm learning in MATH CLASS! I think I need to sit down…)

Ages. AGES. See, I would mention their ages – if I even knew them. So the following will probably be completely off:

Kari, T.K. & Davis - 12

Yoeli – 13

Cody – 10

June – 15? 16? 102! Would be entirely glad to have some help on that one…

I have to say thank you to everybody who took the time to read what I have written so far… and ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO REVIEW!

Ok. Enough with that. WELCOME TO CHAPTER THREE! Write it on the walls, write it in the sky; I DON'T OWN DIGIMON, and that's no lie!

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Chapter Three: Blackout

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&&A Couple Blocks From The School, That Afternoon&&

Yolei Inoue glanced uneasily over at T.K., waiting for the blonde boy to answer her question. But he didn't get the chance to respond – because Cody answered for him.

"If he really wanted us to know, he would have told us… You know how Davis is about these things..." The 10-year-old noted sensibly, muttering a few math calculations under his breath, "I'm never going to get these formulas down in time for the quiz on Monday. I'm going to FAIL!" He gave a frustrated groan and tried to remember if the number was an eight or a nine. Then he realized that it was a seven.

Kari just gave a laugh, watching him multiply quotients in his head. "You have all weekend to get it down! Besides, you've never failed anything before! I'm sure you'll be fine." Her thoughts turned back to what Yolei had told them had happened in the office earlier that day. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

The girl with purple hair nodded slowly. _And he was clutching his shoulder, _she added to herself, _something must have happened to his shoulder – and June knew about it. That was for sure... June definately knew about it._

"Do you think we should ask his sister?" T.K. spoke at last, "She might tell us."

Kari shrugged. "It's worth a try, I guess…"

"Then it's settled. We'll head over to talk to June."

Yolei heaved a sigh. It couldn't hurt. She looked back over to Cody. He was still working numbers in his head.

_It's a good thing **I** don't have a quiz on monday... I'd probably be flipping out too._

&&In A Doctor's Office&&

"Well, Davis, it looks like you've successfully re-opened the wound – again. How did you manage that?" the man's voice was stern, but his face held an amused smile.

_This kid is such a hazard to himself,_ he thought with a smile._ He doesn't have enough patience to just let things heal._

"I haven't got a clue as to how it happened," the boy joked with a laugh, "it just did! So what's the verdict, doc?"

"You pulled some tissue and a lesser nerve in your arm. With your reputation, you can expect to be stuck in bed for a few days, just so that you don't make things even worse. What happened to your stitches, Mr. Motomiya?" He sighed and directed his attention to the boy's older sister.

"He should take one of these twice a day," Dr. Matsuke handed June a white tablet bottle (which she took gratefully and gave her brother a glare), "and I'd like for you to call me on Monday – just to see how he's doing."

_Just be happy that it's not worse… Mom would have had a fit had she been here, but June's still gonna rub this right in my face. Ughhh… I hate those pills. I had to take them last time and they were so nasty… _Davis sighed inwardly, readjusting the goggles on his head.

As the two of them left the rather dull building, Davis couldn't help but wonder something aloud, "What am I gonna do all weekend?"

"You could try studying, so that you actually pass a test for once." June smiled, earning a snort from the boy walking beside her.

"You're horrible, do you know that!"

"Yup. I'm totally evil." She gave a maniacal laugh.

"At least I get to boss you around all weekend." He noted, a mischievous grin forming at the thought. "You'll be my **_personal servant_**."

"Oh ho! You wouldn't dare!"

He just kept smiling and said nothing, a plan already forming of how to make his bleak, boring weekend fun – for him, at least.

_Oh, I really would dare and you know it! Operation x… She'll never know what hit her! This is going to be a better weekend than I thought…_

His smile disappeared as he realized that he and June were walking by a familiar building. He stopped to stare at the large, blank Hospital.

He hated that building more than anything, even though it really had nothing to do with it. It's just too easy to hate a hospital and its scent of death and pain. The building was just such a horrible reminder of what had happened almost a year before. That one life-changing moment that had turned his world completely upside-down. The reason he cried every time he saw Sarah's picture. The scene he still had nightmares about it in his sleep.

It took her a few seconds to realize he had stopped and she followed his gaze.

"You go on ahead, ok?" he whispered, voice barely audible, "I just want to see her for a moment." June nodded at the look in his eyes, and then kept walking as he crossed the street. There it was, standing so tall, right up in front of him.

He breathed a heavy sigh as he opened the glass door and heading straight for the elevator. Davis didn't even bother looking around to see who was coming and going, and nearly walked into an old woman in a wheel-chair. He knew this building too well; he'd been there so many times that the path was etched into his head. His feet went automatic on him, accompanied by heavy breathing. Before he knew it, he was at staring at the silver number 304. He had barely noticed the walk there.

His hand shook slightly as he opened the door, peering inside with a sense of dread. The walls were white and bare, and a table with a couple of blue umcomfortable-looking chairs sat in the corner. Windows illuminated the room with no need for a light at the present time. He glanced over to the bed.

The figure on the white hospital bed was pale and thin, and his heart clenched tightly at the sight. The girl had been in a coma for months now… She looked so sick, so still.

_I promised I'd protect you, Sarah. I promised that you could always depend on me, that I'd always be there for you. Why couldn't I keep that promise? Why couldn't I have pulled you down in time?_

His brown eyes shifted to the tight bandage on her head.

_This wasn't my fault… It was his fault. That stupid foreign exchange kid had to mess everything up! Sean should be the one lying here, half dead! Not you!_

He felt a tear roll down his cheek, but made no attempt to stop it. He just stared at her, expression solemn, head spinning with all the thoughts that had crossed his mind from that day to this.

&&Motomiya Household&&

June sighed, realizing that soon her brother would come home and start the torture weekend.

_Maybe I should get some of my homework done before he gets a hold of a bell and starts ringing it every other minute. He can be so annoying sometimes._

She nodded to herself, humming a song whose words she couldn't remember as she grabbed her school bag made of jean material. It had a picture of Matt on the front. She had just pulled out her science textbook and had opened it to page 278 when –

_Somebody's at the door… Wonder who it is?_

She gave a sigh and put her book down on the table, going to open the door.

_Kari, Yolei, T.K. and Cody… What are they doing here?_

She was a little surprised to see the kids standing there, and her face showed it. "Davis isn't here at the moment… Was there something you wanted to tell him?"

The four of them exchanged uneasy glances. Kari took a breath, and then asked politely, "Could we please talk to you for a moment?" She stared at them in confusion, (checking their faces, if you didn't know - like she ALWAYS does) then let the kids inside.

She invited them to a table and they hesitantly sat down, looking unsure. It was Yolei's turn to talk this time.

She seemed to struggle for a moment with the right way to say this. "Davis left kind of early…" she paused, "What I mean is… What happened?"

"He sprained something playing soccer the other day. It was just really hurting him." June eased with a smile as she rattled off her ready excuse. But they weren't about to give up so easily.

"Are you sure? Because he seemed kind of… Upset," T.K. ventured, knowing fully well that she was lying. But he wasn't supposed to know that.

_I think they're on to something. But they don't know that I know that they know. But now I don't know what I just thought because that's really confusing. Whatever!_

"You can ask him if you like. Here he comes now." In a loss for words, she handed the deal to the boy fiddling with his keys at the door.

And wasn't it a shock to Davis when he walked in to find the four kids waiting for him.

_Uh oh... This can't be good... June, what did you **do**?_

He just stared numbly at them all, before his eyes shifted to June. She gave him a 'you deal with it!' look and walked back to her desk.

"Um… hi." He couldn't seem to think of anything better to say at the moment. He gave them a slightly awkward smile (which his sister saw right through) and glanced between their faces.

"Davis," Yolei stepped in and got straight to the point, "where were you today?"

"Doctor's. He had to check my shoulder." Yolei smiled.

_I **knew **it! I just **knew **it!_ Yolei thought, eyes shining with triumph.

"Why? What happened to your shoulder?" T.K. asked, and Davis could feel the heat on the back of his neck as they all watched him.

"I hurt it playing soccer…"

"Did you, now? Davis, you mind if I see it for a moment?"

_Oh crap. Cody, you nailed me on this one. What do I do now?_

"Listen… I'm really kind of tired… I think I'm just gonna a breather for a while…"

_Ok… Good save, Davis. Now just head off to your room… _Davis thought to himself as he took a step toward his room.

He thought he was home free, but Yolei wasn't going to have that, now was she? She put a hand on his left shoulder to make him stop, not realizing how hard she'd placed it there. She was a little shocked at the expression on his face, and quickly removed the hand in alarm.

Paralyzing pain screamed through his system and Davis collapsed to the floor hard. Kari gave a gasp as she saw him fall, eyes wide. T.K. and Cody just stared in horror, and Yolei drew a sharp breath.

The agony was overwhelming, seeping through his chest and enveloping his whole body. The last thing the boy heard before the darkness claimed him was his sister screaming out his name.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I'm sorry that it took me longer to write this one… I just realized that it was WAY too short so I had to work on it. (heh heh… oops) I am VERY pleased with the ending.

Hmm… what else should I say? I still have no idea what I'm doing. LOL. Are we ok? GOOD! And would somebody PLEASE tell me how old June was in season two! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that… (Ahem. LAUGHS MANIACALLY) LOVES YA! MWUAH! Comments, I beg of you!

Thank you for your time… (Time well wasted, I might add… MUAH HA HA!)

Sincerely,

simply just being (sjb)


	4. Nightmare

"Hi everybody!" "Hi, Doctor Lou!"

Response to reviews (no matter how odd this STILL seems to me):

"Definately" is spelled "definitely." WHOOPS! Ahem (cough cough) my mistake… I do that kind of thing a lot… thank you and umm… I didn't do that with any other words, did I? EEEKK… I hope not… A twelve-year-old like me should NOT be making spelling errors like that but yeah…. So…

Everybody goes: HURRY UP! I go: EEEEEK RUN AWAY!

AHEM if you'll direct you attention to this little red light here… (FLASH) ok you didn't see anything here. You were all stuck in traffic and a firework from someone's car went off… THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS ALIENS. OR ALIEN GUNS. OR THE MIB, FOR THAT MATTER. And we'll throw in an "I don't own Digimon, or Men In Black 1 & 2" (though I wish I DID own the second movie – it's really good…) into that modified memory of yours as well. Thank you for your time!

BAH. Enough of that. This section just keeps getting longer and longer… CHAPTER FOUR COMMENCES!

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Chapter Four: Nightmare

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_Where am I? _Floating at a point somewhere between dream and reality, everything was dark. He couldn't distinguish much of anything – except the pain. His aching body coursed with a shock like a second heartbeat. _Everything's so heavy… I can't move. I can't see anything, either. Am I awake or am I dreaming?_

His thoughts were interrupted by some kind of loud, thrumming noise. It sounded like a lawn-mower buzzing on and off at odd moments. Davis struggled to figure out what had happened, but all he remembered was darkness. _Was this all there had ever been? Just this darkness?_

The lawn-mower sound was getting clearer, losing its buzzing hum and he recognized them as fuzzy words. There were people…

_What are they saying? Are they talking to me?_

The swimming darkness was getting lighter – his senses were coming back to him, bit by bit. He was finally able to figure out what one of them was saying.

"Do you think he's going to wake up soon?"

_What? Where is that voice **coming from**? I know it from somewhere… It sounded… It sounded like…_the darkness lightened a tiny bit more, but his head ached terribly. _Like Kari. That is her name, right? Kari? That has to be her name…_

_Kari, can you hear me? It's me – well, whoever **me** is… I don't remember why I'm here. Can you hear me? Please!_

"You never really know. Sometimes he blacks out for days on end."

_And that… That was… June. Somebody help me, please! I want to get out of here!_

Kari and June stared in alarm as the young boy in a hospital gown stirred. His brown eyes opened blearily.

"Davis, are you ok?" June's voice broke, her hand clenching tightly onto his.

_Davis – is that **my** name? I don't even remember who I am! God, June… I don't know if I'm ok. I don't remember anything other than this. I don't even know what ok **is **anymore. And I can't move. I can't move any part of me. June, can you hear me? Are… Are you… crying? What's wrong? Did I do something?_

"Davis, can you hear me?" Kari's usually bright voice was somber.

He tried to move his arm and gave a gasp of pain. He realized something was wrong. _But what? What's going on, here? How long have I been like this?_

"D-don't do that, Davis. You're going to hurt yourself."

After a few moments of their anxious faces staring at him, he was finally able to string together some words. His voice sounded alien to him.

"W-what… happened?" His voice was shaking and June held his arm even tighter.

_You look scared, June. Don't be scared. There's nothing to worry about. Really._

"You… You blacked out. **_Please _**tell me that you took the pills, Dai, please…"

"I don't… I don't think I did, June…"

Her mouth fell half-way open in shock. Her pink sweater shuffled slightly.

"Pills?" Kari interrupted, "what pills? What was he supposed to take them for?"

"You didn't tell her?" He lacked strength, but his words were strong.

"I thought that you should be the one to tell her."

"Tell me what?"

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly in such great shape to be doing this."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"But she needs to hear it from you."

"Fine, I'll tell her."

"Tell me _what_!"

But both of them went silent at that very moment. Davis glanced over to his frustrated friend. He was a little bit at a loss for words.

_Where do I even start? There's just so much to tell…_

"One of my class-mates shot me in the shoulder, Kari. It never exactly healed."

The girl just gave him a blank look of misunderstanding. "What do you mean, he shot you?"

"I **_mean _**that he pulled out a gun and started firing bullets at the kids in the playground. A bunch of people got hurt - including somebody that I really care a lot about. This other kid, Zach, his heart failed. I guess that's why June's so worried about me… She's worried that I might not recover."

"And… Your shoulder just started hurting you again now?"

_Kari, why are you making this so god damn hard for me? I don't want to talk about this anymore! It… It hurts! It hurts to think about this!  
_

"No… It didn't. It's... It's been hurting me all year."

"... How come you never told any of us?"

"I guess I just wanted to forget about it… Besides, what would any of you have said? I don't need pity for my problems. I just need to focus on moving on."

"Oh, yes, it really sounds like you've moved on already!" her voice turned an angry tone, "Is it that you don't trust us? I don't understand! We're your friends! We can help you!"

"Kari…" He grabbed for her hand to calm her down, but she just shook her head in dismay and his eyes followed the retreating figure.

"Well, that went well." June noted, sarcasm hinting out in her voice.

"It's not like you helped any."

"I thought you could handle it, Davis."

"What **_are_** you talking about! Does it look like I've handling any of this all that well! On what basis is this judgment of yours?" The pent up anger inside him was rising again.

He stared at the table beside him, where someone had placed a couple of lilies in a green, glossy vase. He didn't even care who put them there. He just wanted to scream.

"You know what Davis? You've become a real **_jerk_**! I try to be supportive and you throw it back in my face!"

"You call this supportive? You're leaving me to be butchered! Tell me, what color is the sky on your planet!"

"I **_don't _**have to sit here and put up with this! Call me when some logic gets dumped into your empty head!"

"Fine! Why don't you just leave!"

He watched as his sister left the room in a huff, slamming the door behind her.

_That makes two of them. Oh, this is just PERFECT! Everyone's always yelling at me! Everything I do is always wrong! Nobody ever accepts me for who I am! And when I finally do something right, somebody like Sean goes ahead and destroys it all! I'd would be better off if that bullet had killed me!_

After a few seconds of empty silence, his anger disappeared. He never felt so alone. He stared at the blank, white room that he was in. It was exactly like Sarah's – except she had three chairs and he only had two. A chair. Big difference. Not like he had anybody to sit in the chairs in his room, anyway.

He just wanted to crawl up into a ball and cry his eyes out. He wanted to be openly miserable and have someone comfort him. But he never did that. Not anymore. These days, he kept everything inside him – along with the pain in his shoulder. He didn't even know how to stop himself anymore. It was just automatic.

After a while of staring at the door, he just closed his eyes and decided he should at least try****to sleep. But the dreams he drifted into were uneasy, and a cold sweat soon broke out over his body.

_Not the nightmare again. Please, anything but this...  
_

His head didn't listen to him. The scene unfolded in his mind again. It was a bright, sunny day at Ridgemount, and the kids were just being dismissed for lunch break. Davis, smiling brightly with his companions, was busy telling a joke to a red-head. He finished and she laughed uncontrollably.

His eyes shifted to Miko, who was busy flipping through a stack of papers. "I can't believe you left it at a cliff-hanger, mo!" Davis smiled at both the nickname and the comment.

"Hey! You asked for the next chapter and I wrote up the next chapter! It's not my fault if the story just wanted to go that way!"

Sam and Sarah were up ahead, already under the cover of the ever-green trees. Then she whispered something to the blonde boy beside her and came over to Davis. She was smiling that smile of hers, and her eyes had that sparkle that he loved.

Their lips met and he felt a shuddery, weak sensation spread through him. She was just lost in his touch. She broke off and the both of them smiled.

"I just need to throw something out, k?" He nodded, eyes watching her go. It was so perfect. He should have known better.

A sharp scream filled the air like lightening and thunder, followed by an outbreak of gasps and yelling. Davis whipped around in horror to find one of his classmates – Sean, a seemingly happy wavy-haired kid – standing in front of the school doors. In his shaking hand, he held a gun.

Davis didn't think; he just acted. He ran to the cover of the trees, pulling down the kids beside him. He was shaking badly. Knowing that his friends were safe, he glanced out from behind the large tree trunk and all breath left him in that instant.

His heart was beating in his head, pumping harder and faster than a runaway train. _No!_ He thought. _Sarah…God no. Get down, Sarah... Please, just get down!  
_

He knew by the look on her face – a mix of terror, horror and shock – that she had frozen on the spot. He couldn't stand it any longer. Davis burst from the cover of the trees, praying that Sean wouldn't shoot her. If anything were to happen to her, it would be the end of him. He just knew it.

"Davis, stop!" Miko screamed, watching the boy's progress. Davis felt a horrible jolt through his body. There was blood on his shoulder. He felt nauseous and weak at the sight of it, but he didn't care. He was so close! He had to reach her!

"SEAN NO!" He screamed with every fiber of his being, but with the sound of a gunshot, he knew it was all over. He threw himself forward and caught her before she hit the ground – but only just. He could feel the hot tears streaming down his face.

_No… Stop this nightmare. PLEASE! Stop this nightmare already! I beg of you!_

Davis's eyes snapped open, blinking back tears. They faded completely in a dose of curiosity as he noticed that there was somebody else in the room. She seemed to be working on some kind of puzzle and her agitation was evident.

_Yolei, _Davis thought with a smile, _I never knew you cared._

Deciding to leave her to her puzzle (which she was smacking madly with her left hand) his eyes closed again. It was only after he breathed out a small sigh that she glanced over to see him with a large grin on his face.

_That Davis... _She thought with a small smile. _Grrrr... Stupid puzzle. TAKE THAT!_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(smile) wow. I REALLY like that ending... Anyway - my apologies for making you guys wait for so long. It's hard coming up with this stuff on the spot, though! So if one more person pushes me to hurry up, DAVIS IS GOING TO DIE. lol. i'm just kidding. i hope you guys read on to the next chapter as i post it and... oh, well, just do what you do best: REVIEW LIKE CRAZY! heh heh. I have to go take over the world now - i mean, check on the oven... Yes... The oven... riiiiiiiiiiggghht...

Sincerely,

The one and only -sjb-!


	5. Pouring Rain

"Hi everybody!" "Hi, Doctor Hikodijouniparapna!"

I won't even bother. I don't own Digimon. Or Lysol. Or lint. Just so you know.

Here's a riddle for ya:

A rooster lays an egg on a roof. Which way does it roll?

Roosters lay eggs? o.0 can pigs fly too, now?

ON WITH THE SHOW!

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Chapter Five: Pouring Rain

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&& At The Hospital &&

Kari ambled through the hallway, her mind churning and her bright, brown eyes distant. She was so confused, so frustrated… Yet she still felt guilty of her actions.

_He's been lying to me for months now. Straight to my face! Who knows what else he could be hiding from me! The Davis I know would never lie about something like that – but that Davis doesn't even seem to be real anymore. How much had he pretended? How much had it hurt? I shouldn't be mad at him; I should be trying to help him. But it hurts so much to think that he doesn't even trust me!_

Her hand absent-mindedly fiddled with the digital camera around her neck as she explored the hallway. It wasn't fueled by curiosity, but more by the need for movement. It was one of those odd, hard to explain feelings. That 'get up and go' notion.

The cold air held the scent of orange Lysol – the kind of smell that lingers around a doctor's office. It had the same sense of waiting. A different, difficult story hid behind every door she saw. Behind every door were pain, fears and secrets. It was strange that these stories should be listed in such a fashion. Shiny, silver numbers highlighted the doorways with a rusty gleam, yet it was just another door. Another world entirely, that she would never come to know.

It felt strange to be walking around the hospital like she was; it had a dark feel to it that suited the brunette's current mood.

_It's probably really hard for him to go through all of this. I don't even know how I would handle it. The look on his face… It just said something so unlike Davis; hopelessness, aggravation and pain. I'd never seen him look like that before and I hope I never have to see it again. It's horrible. It makes me want to cry. I needed him to be smiling. I needed him to be the annoying jerk he was before any of this happened - a lovable but annoying jerk in competition with T.K. about everything. Maybe I've grown to depend on him for that? But who wouldn't? I just… I need somebody to think about this with. I'd talk to T.K. or Yolei, but don't think that they knew either. Maybe I should talk to Gatomon? Yes, I'll go talk to Gatomon. She always knows what to do. _

With that thought in mind, she headed out for the elevator. She needed to see her Digimon friend – and organize the mess of thoughts in her head.

&&Room 224&&

Davis couldn't ever remember being this bored in his entire life. It was agony for him. Even detention couldn't compare to this. The twelve-year-old felt so completely restless just sitting there… Just sitting there… He wanted to go out, to stretch his legs! But nobody on staff would let him as much as step foot outside the room. At least he had a window, no matter how dusty it may have been.

Nobody had come into his room since Yolei Inoue had left, though he didn't really suspect that it was visiting hours anyway. He had no understanding, whatsoever, of how the visiting hours worked. In fact, it seemed like a miracle that she had even been in the room at all. He suspected that she was feeling a bit guilty for putting him through this with her stubborn nature, even if it really wasn't her style to do the whole guilt thing.

_Seriously. I could kill her for putting me here. It's as dead as a graveyard over here, and this is all her doing! But no – it isn't really her doing, is it? It's my fault for her mistake because she didn't know. Because I never told her. Then again, it's Sean's fault for even shooting me in the first place! And yet, it's Anna's fault for starting that rumor about him that pushed him over the edge! It was so painfully obvious that Sean was way too insecure to handle that – but Anna was too oblivious to pick up the hints. Anna, you nut. She only drew the dots, she never connected them. Didn't she have any common sense at all? Not a single ounce of it._

_That fashion diva never really had a flare for limits, did she? No, she was way too over-the-top for any of that. Her motto always was, "appearance is almost everything – style is in a league all its own." The rest of us couldn't care less! But of course, she became superficial and shallow. All to be popular. Does that mean popularity is to blame? God, whatever!_

_Even so… what would she say if she were here now? What would be the expression on her face? But she not here; she's all the way in New York with her dad, living up the high life. She didn't even have the nerve to call me up to see how I'm doing… Not that I really wanted to talk to her anyway. This is all her fault and she knows it. Makes me pity her… but only a bit._

He gave a sigh, turning over slightly in his stiff bed. The mattress had an odd feel to it – something unfamiliar. He found it hard to sleep on. It was definitely going to be a long day for him. He closed his eyes for a moment, but he wasn't the least bit tired at all. The silence was unsettling, chilling through his body and settling deep down in his bones. He couldn't seem to shake it off.

_But Miko didn't really think she was over-the-top at all. He was one of the few who didn't. He sort of reminds me of Ken, actually. So down to earth on so many levels. It's strange to think that acting was his real passion. He was Peter Pan in the school play a few years ago and MAN, did he bring down the house! Give the guy a line and I bet he could make Juliette jump off the balcony and straight into his arms. That is, if he could remember the line. No, his organizational skills weren't excellent but mine weren't so amazing either. Fine, I'll admit that mine are a heck of a lot worse. But that doesn't really matter to me. I guess he just understood people on a level that didn't suit his age. He was… Genuinely wise. We used to call him Old Toad and laugh every time, but I guess deep down we all really appreciated him for his kindness. I think even Sam really liked him, no matter how much he denied it. He could really get you that way._

_But Sam… Sam was a totally different story altogether. It was impossible to please the guy._

His thoughts broke off as the door opened slightly and blue eyes peeked through. Upon seeing that Davis was awake, he gave a smile of relief. The blonde took a seat on the edge of his bed, arms crossed in a comfortable fashion.

"So, how've you been holding up?" He laughed, drumming his hands on the wooden table. He asked more for the conversation than the answer. He was pretty sure of what he'd hear.

"Bored. Insanely bored. This place could drive people up the wall. Have you heard from June, yet?"

T.K. shook his head in response, eyes shifting to the flowers beside Davis's bed. "Nope. And she said she'd call us if you woke up. What a let-down."

"Well… I can't exactly blame her or anything. She probably has things to do."

"Yeah, I guess not. Davis… what happened?"

"It's a long story, T.C.…" His brown eyes gazed out the window, staring at a Volvo in the parking lot. Shadows loomed in his voice, evidence that he wanted to drop the subject.

"Alright. Just tell me if you want to talk about it." There was silence for a moment.

"Have you ever been hospitalized before?" Davis gave a small, amused smile as the other boy shook his head again.

_Where does he come up with these questions? It's just so… Completely random. I'll never understand how that mind of yours works, Davis…_

"Is that a bad thing?" T.K. chuckled, raising an eyebrow. He pulled out a black cotton bag and searched through it. After a second, he found what he was looking for and pulled out a grey textbook. A moderately heavy grey textbook.

_Homework. _The blonde thought, _I have no idea why we get so much homework! Well, it looks as if the wild child is going to miss the science project. May as well get some done now._

As a strange but comfortable silence grew between them, T.K. glanced through different bits of information about shield volcanoes. He kept mumbling things under his breath, staring in concentration… Once again, Davis's eyes shifted back out the window. Maybe staying in a hospital wouldn't be as bad as he'd thought.

"Hey, T.K.?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

T.K. just smiled. _You're welcome, Davis. You're welcome._

&&Hida Residence&&

It was going to rain soon and Cody knew it. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, clashing together with fists of thunder and dazzling light.

"Shut the window, Armadillomon. I don't want my desk getting wet again."

The last time it had rained, he'd forgotten to shut the window before he left the house. He returned later, only to find that all of his work was soaked, ink running, heaped in a puddle on the floor. In fact, it had left a large black stain on the carpet that he couldn't get out, no matter how much he scrubbed at it.

Armadillomon nodded in understanding and made his way to over the window, crawling on top of the large wooden desk. Cody was just coming over to help when the telephone rang. Having a sigh, he picked up the phone.

"Hello, Hida residence." He sat down on his black chair, watching interestedly as his Digimon friend pushed as hard as he could against the glass. It wouldn't budge and inch.

"Hi. Cody?" Her voice was friendly, but anxious.

"Oh! Hi, Kari." _Is something wrong?_

"I just thought I'd mention that Davis finally woke up today."

"That's good! And knowing him, I'll bet he's really bored right now." The boy gave a laugh, trying to imagine what Davis could possibly be up to.

"Yep, he probably is. What're you up to at the moment?"

"I was just about to head out, actually." His thoughts were somewhere else and it showed in his voice.

Armadillomon nearly had it now; it was sliding ever so slightly… Then suddenly the window snapped shut altogether and he tumbled backwards off of the desk in surprise. He laughed, picking the little guy up. "You?"

"I think I'm going to head out too. I have to go apologize to someone."

"Oh? To whom?" _Apologize? What for?_

"To Davis. He was right about something, but I didn't realize it before."

"In what way?" _You? Apologizing to Davis? Do you have it backwards or something?_

"He's just… More the same than I realized. He cares about me more than I thought he did. Listen… I have to go. I'll talk to you later! Bye!"

"Bye." _That was a bit… Strange. Especially for Kari._

Cody stared down at the creature in his arms in silence. They were equally confused, and it seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he was.

"Now, what was that all about?" The little rookie Digimon mused, cocking his head to the side. Cody just shrugged and gave one last glance at the window before he left the room. It was pouring outside.

"I have no idea." Laughter followed as they dashed down the hall.

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There. Much better. Sorry I had to take it down but this chapter was just nagging at me like a thorn. (sigh) I need to get the new Coldplay cd! It's supposed to be positively AWESOME! But Coldplay is awesome anyway so whatever. I hope you enjoyed this reworked chapter.

Ahem. If I may have your attention please? Tonight we're having tuna salad, fresh orange juice and a side of TO BE CONTINUED! And it shall. So there. Heh heh. I am SUCH a nut...

Yours truly,

The ever-original one – Simply Just Being! See ya!


	6. Confusion

"Hi everybody!" "Hi Doctor Bernard!"

RESPONSES OR ELSE! AND HERE THEY ARE:

"Davis is a depressed little boy, ain't he? man, he must have had a lot of friends before the shooting."

That he did... And who WOULDN'T be depressed? I know i would. Poor kid. i almost feel bad putting him in this situation. Not the 'almost'. heh heh.

"FINALLY! Someone who is good, AND updates fast! My prayers have been answered!"

Why thank you! I just wish i could find somebody else doing that because it's driving me nuts...

"I don't own Digimon!"

Wait, i think that's something i said...

(sniff) I LEAVE FOR CAMP IN TWO DAYS! So this will probably be my last chapter for a while. Well, without further ado, ENJOY!

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Chapter Six: Confusion

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&&Room 224&&

Davis Motomiya walked, as if in a daze, down the relatively dark hallway. His feet led him forward, but he wasn't really sure that he wanted to go. He raised a hand to his head to touch his goggles, as if they would give him some leftover strength from his idol, but they weren't there. They had been too uncomfortable to wear when he was sleeping, so he'd taken them off earlier. If only he'd remembered to put them back on.

The hospital seemed quiet – evening had settled long ago, but he couldn't sleep. It was if the boy had sensed something; like a change in the air, perhaps. It settled like a shiver down his spine.

_Why is this still so hard to do? You've come down here dozens of times! What happened to the brave Davis that everybody knows? You're not supposed to be shaking like this! _He thought to himself, lowering his hand. Tears were forming in his brown eyes again.

Slivers of memories, like shadowy quicksilver, hid themselves in the corners of his head. He didn't even know why he felt so torn between the worlds of past and present. What happened had happened. It was over and done with. So why couldn't he let it go?

He quietly opened the door, eyes drifting to the white tiles beneath his feet. Tears were rolling down his cheeks in waves, each one a reflection of a moment long ago when everything was different. A time when Davis didn't feel like he was acting like a jerk, just to keep himself from bursting into tears at any moment.

His blurry gaze settled on the girl resting silent in a white hospital bed. How was it possible that she could ever move again, act again, feel again… and just be a part of the world again? It seemed so out of reach at the moment that it hurt him like nothing else ever could.

_What if… What if I could have stopped this? What if none of this had ever happened at all? **Why couldn't this never have happened at all?**_

His heart ached with guilt and fear just to look at her. It had been months since she had smiled. Months. Before, she had never stopped smiling. Things just weren't supposed to be this way.

He sat there by the table, staring in silence, tears falling like stars from the heavens. It seemed as if the sky was already black with darkness. He didn't know how long he sat there. It could have been minutes or all night. He didn't care.

A sudden movement nearly made him jump up. The girl… was moving. Slowly, as if he were wading through water, he shifted to her side.

"Sarah?" his voice was hoarse, blaring out in cold silence. He reached out a hand to touch her face, trying to stop himself from shaking. She put her hand on his and opened her eyes sleepily.

"Davis…" _He's… crying. Why? What happened? What am I doing here?_

He nodded at the confused expression on her face. "It's going to be alright, Sarah… Everything's going to be ok." He choked out, tremors of shaking crawling through his body. It'd been so long since he'd last heard her voice. He didn't know whether it was soothing or unsettling.

"How do you know?" She asked, reveling in the touch of his cold hand.

"Because I'll never let you go." She smiled, closing her eyes. A gentle smile illuminated his face in the darkness. He rested his head back against the wall, eyes closing.

_I promise you, Sarah. I'll never let you go._

After a few minutes passed, she had fallen asleep. He brushed a kiss on her lips then headed back to the hallway. He was tired. What time was it, anyway? There were no other sounds but the shuffling of his feet.

Now that he thought about it, what he had witnessed almost seemed surreal – it felt like some kind of dream. He collapsed into bed, all thoughts leaving him in a clear ocean of calm. Within seconds, he was asleep as well.

&&At School, Monday Morning&&

Davis fiddled with his pen, his mind drifting somewhere else. Other kids were arriving, taking their seats in the classroom. He didn't take much notice. It wasn't that he was tired – it was that he felt more torn than before. The boy wasn't sure what to think.

_What's going to happen now? What am I supposed to tell Kari and the others?_

The bell rang, and his gaze drifted to the chalkboard. Another boring school day had begun. His teacher bounded in, a large smile on her face. The students quieted.

"Class, I'm pleased to announce that we have a new student!" She nodded to the girl standing in the doorway. "Well, come on in… Tell them a bit about yourself!"

All he could think was: _No way._

"Hi. I'm Sarah Stone. I switched schools and… well…" She glanced around uncertainly, biting her lip. Some of the kids were smiling at her in friendly way, but she still seemed nervous.

"Sarah, why don't you take the seat behind Mr. Motomiya?"

Every pair of eyes in the classroom followed her progress to the seat behind him. He gave her a small nod, resting his chin on his palm. His eyes shifted to the clock. It was going to be yet another long day.

&&Lunch&&

Davis, Cody, Yolei, Kari and T.K. sat down at their usual table, relieved that lunch had come at last. The spectacled girl bit into her lunch with a frown, making a mental note to pack it herself next time. Cody was talking to T.K. about the Digital world, and Kari was waving over to Sarah.

"Come sit with us!" She called, urging the brunette over. Sarah sat down, glancing at them all. Her sky blue eyes came to a rest on Davis.

"Why are you wearing goggles?" She asked, opening her lunchbox. The table went dead silent, and Yolei suppressed a laugh.

"The same reason you're wearing your watch backwards. I feel like it." He laughed, shaking his head and glancing at another table. She smiled. Nobody else had even noticed.

"Where're you from, Sarah?" T.K. asked, resisting the urge to slap Yolei. Cody looked up, interested in where the conversation was going.

"Just across town. I miss my old house…" The brunette heaved a sigh. _It's so strange to be here._

"Oh? Why did you move?" Cody smiled politely, trying to ease the nerves of the new girl.

"Same reason as Davis, am I right?" She turned to the boy with the goggles. "You care to tell it?" She laughed, seeing the shocked expression on his face. He just shook his head.

Kari was staring over with a strange look of understanding. Something he'd said came floating back to her. _"One of my class-mates shot me in the shoulder, Kari. It never exactly healed."_

She decided to change the subject, feeling thoroughly uncomfortable. "I can't believe you missed the science project, Davis! It's not fair for the rest of us!"

"I agree! You should have to do it along with everyone else – we had to!" Yolei added, slamming her hand on the table.

He just smiled, grateful for Kari's quick thinking. _I guess this means she actually forgives me… That's a relief. Even though she apologized, I was sure that she was still mad._

"Give me a break, you guys – you're just going to have to live with the fact that you worked your butts off and I didn't." He chuckled in response, taking a large bite out of his ham sandwich.

The conversation shifted and Davis tuned it out. He didn't really feel like listening at the moment. He was wondering about his little blue buddy in the digital world, and what he could possibly be doing at that very moment. Which could've been nearly anything, knowing him.

He figured he'd go see Veemon after school and maybe call Ken. He had a lot on his mind.

The bell rang through his thoughts, signifying the end of lunch. Davis packed up the remainder of his food and glanced over to Sarah. She made her way to his side, letting the others go ahead.

"Meet me after school?" She whispered in his ear, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear. He nodded, and she ran ahead to catch up with everyone else. It felt kind of like it used to, but things just seemed too different to go back to the way it was.

With that thought in mind, Davis noticed how late he was for class and dashed off.

&&Davis's Room That Night&&

"Does that still make you her boyfriend?" Ken asked, sounding confused.

"I haven't got a clue." Davis murmured, not really having an answer.

The two friends had been on the phone for 10 minutes as Davis explained the events earlier that day.

A beep sounded through the phone. "Hang on, there's somebody on the other line."

He pushed "Flash" with a sigh. It was probably somebody calling for his sister - there were always a dozen people calling for her. It was kind of annoying, actually.

"Hello?"

"Hi... Davis?"

"Hey, Kari. What's up?"

"Not much - i've just been doing math homework. Our teacher really gives us a load, don't you think?"

"Yep. It's a real problem."

"I was just wondering…" She paused for a moment, "would you want to go out with me on Saturday?"

The words rang through his head like a gunshot. Had he heard her right? _Is Kari... **asking me out**?_ Davis was stunned for a moment. Then his thoughts clouded. _What about Sarah?_

"I can't, Kari… I'm busy that night. Listen, I'll call you later, ok? I have to go."

She sounded confused. "Alright… Bye."

_What the hell am I supposed to do? _He shook his head and pressed the "Flash" button again, resuming his conversation with his best friend.

"Sorry about that…"

"Who was on the other line?"

"Kari. I thought it might be a call for June or something."

"You sound upset. What happened?"

"She... She asked me out."

Ken paused for a moment, thinking the situation over. "So what did you tell her?"

"That I'm busy that night and I'd call her after."

"Just be careful, Davis – you're skating on thin ice here. Listen, I have to go. Dinner's ready and I'm starving. Call me after and tell me what happened, k?"

"Yeah. See ya…"

"Bye!"

Davis turned the phone off and stared out his window. He had no idea what to do. With a sigh, he reached a hand to the goggles resting firmly on his head. One thing was for sure – things didn't come easily for Daisuke Motomiya.

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I think I'm just gonna leave you guys wondering as to what happens next. Unfortunately, this might be my last chapter for a while. Davis sure is living in an upside-down world...

Sorry it took me so long to post this up. REALLY busy with packing and DLM. By the way, you're free to read that one if you like. Just a suggestion. EVERYBODY REVIEW NOW!

Someone in the background yells, "TO BE CONTINUED!" but what could they possibly mean? 2 + 2 6.

sincerely,

simply just being


	7. Wailing Of Sirens

Wow. It's been WAY too long. Can you forgive me, guys? (sniff)

Standard disclaimer: I (beep) don't (beep) own (beep) digimon! (BEEP)

Response to reviews (still weird):

Whoaw! Did I read rigth? She asked him out, I wonder why? Well please hurry with the next chapter!

Well, I've answered THAT question... READ ON, MY FELLOW FANFIC-ERS!

Sarah's back! I thought that see was gonna stay in a coma the rest of the time.

Yup. It was just as surprising to me when i wrote it. But that's all about to change... (maniacal laugh)

As per Dark Qiviut, THANK YOU! i take pride in being absolutely random and hope to keep doing so!

On to Chapter Seven... for some of you, long-awaited. For others, well, not so long-awaited. But i think that the title of the chapter should give it some justice.

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Chapter Seven: Wailing Of Sirens

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&&At School, Tuesday Morning&&

Davis Motomiya stared at his locker door, his shoulder throbbing. He wasn't really thinking of much in particular – just shadows of things; past birthdays, movies and something his sister had told him a few years ago. It was all really a jumbled mess, no one piece of information lingering long enough for him to recognize it.

His eyes skated over to his schoolbag, half closed with exhaustion. He hadn't slept much last night, wandering in an out of nightmares every hour or so. He kept seeing shadows of faces and smudges of memory that didn't seem to fit in with the hazy images that clouded his head. What they meant, the brunette had no idea. Well, almost no idea, anyway.

Davis raised a hand to his pained arm, suppressing a shuddering sigh. What was he going to tell the others when all the lies he had fed to them over the months had fallen apart? That he'd created this whole other personality because he didn't have a clue what to do with himself?

He smiled in spite of himself, wondering how he'd made such a mess of his current situation. The boy had a bad habit of doing things like that – messing up particularly badly (OK, things tended to be pretty disastrous) because he never thought things through in the long run. Not lately. Thinking would require hesitation and… he just felt that he couldn't risk doing it anymore. His impatience these days was almost more than he could handle.

School would start in only minutes and... He'd end up lying again. It seemed like some kind of inescapable, vicious cycle. _Sarah's back in my life again, _he thought to himself, his stomach pulling a back flip, _so why aren't I happy? I feel like I'm gonna crack up and completely lose it soon. Who the hell cares about Kari, anyway!_

He mentally stopped himself, stunned at the thought that had flitted through his mind only seconds before. _I do…… Don't I? _His mind was reeling. Doubt. He wasn't supposed to have doubt. Not about her. Never about her. So why now? Why all this confusion?

_Because you really only like her as a friend, _a small part of him nagged, _but you just needed something to focus on before you exploded. _He could barely stand the fact that this annoying little part of him seemed a little true. Logical, even.

The school bell rang out, dragging his thoughts to the classroom he was supposed to have been in. Anger coursing through him, he shut his locker, dragging his feet down the hallway. The day wasn't off to a particularly good start, and it was soon to get worse – as Davis noted at the look on his teacher's face when he walked in and took his seat.

"Mr. Motomiya, why are you late – again?" Her tone was icy, bringing his late arrival to the attention of a few students who hadn't noticed him take his seat shortly after the bell. A bit of whispering started up and abruptly ceased as she crossed her arms in aggravation.

"My watch is slow. I'll have to reset it." A thread of confusion traveled on her face and she attempted to suppress it. Yolei glanced over at him, slightly flabbergasted. _First that weird phone call, _she thought, _and now this?_ He'd never really had an actual reason before; he usually just cracked a joke or two and earned some annoyance from his fellow class-mates. Something didn't seem right to her.

"Very well, then. Try to have that done and see to it that you're on time tomorrow. Now then, if you'll turn your attention…"

The lesson continued in its usual manner, but he wasn't even following. Not that the information was boring or even bothering him today, but his mind was just swimming and his pulse was rapid and it felt like, yet again, a knife was tearing at his shoulder and digging deeper and deeper. It felt like some kind of acid burning through his body, and made it all that much more difficult to pull off his usual arrogant personality.

But he had to pull it off. Otherwise they'd see him acting different and think something was wrong and ask him questions that he didn't really want to answer. Questions about what had happened to him all year, who he used to be, how much he missed his home, why June could always see right through his masquerade…

He winced in pain, attention turning back to the board. Nobody else seemed to have noticed – except Yolei who was watching him very carefully. She could tell something was up. With a flash of reflected light from her round glasses, she buried her nose in the geography textbook to avoid the quick eye of the strict woman at the front of the class.

Kari seemed pretty flustered too; her shirt was wrinkled, her eyes looked unfocused and her hair was a total mess (in her opinion). It was one of those things about Yolei – she spotted every detail, no matter how big or small. She reasoned that something must have happened the night before. Something that must have really put her on edge. Something with Tai, maybe?

Kari hadn't even said a word about what was bothering her. Yolei would just have to drag it out of her; nicely… or tooth and claw.

&&At The Lockers, After School&&

The purple-haired girl raised her chin up, preparing a mental strategy for a proper approach. Yolei took a deep breath and headed to the side of her friend, leaning her back against the metal doors.

"Hey Kari." She smiled brightly as the other girl looked up from a mess of scattered books and gym clothes. "What's up?"

_She's hesitating, _Yolei noted, eyes scanning the tensed figure of her friend._ Is it that she just doesn't want to tell me or is she afraid somebody else might hear? Is she embarrassed about something? I don't exactly think she's mad or anything… If she was mad at me she'd ignore me and talk to T.K., and if it was about anything else she'd spill before I even had a chance to ask. So typical of Kari._

"Um…" Kari continued rummaging through the contents of her locker, knowing fully well that her friend was watching her. "I kind of did something… well… something stupid and it didn't turn out the way I thought…" Her high voice trailed off and she seemed determined not to look up.

_Kari? Do something stupid? That's a first._

"What kind of thing?" Yolei pulled at her shirt, watching the details. Kids passed by but didn't seem to notice the two of them. She hoped it would stay that way.

"I… well… I asked Davis out and… he said no." Kari explained, hoping not to have to delve any deeper into the subject. Maybe Yolei would just forget about it and leave her alone? But then again, this is Yolei. You do the math.

The bespectacled girl's eyes widened behind her glasses – but, lucky for her, Kari still hadn't met her gaze. Her mind exploded as the words sunk in. **_She did what now?_**

"You asked him out? And he said no?" Yolei's voice was peaking its limit of dumbfounded (and not to mention loud) capability and the other girl flinched and finally looked up. Kari's face was aghast, gazing at a very pale Yolei.

"Yolei, please. Keep it down, will you?" She glanced nervously at a couple of the passerby's who had stopped to stare at the commotion. Kari took a deep breath and held it for a moment before they continued on their way.

"What exactly did he say?" The purple-haired 13-year-old tried her best to keep her voice down, feeling as if the world had been turned completely upside-down.

"That he couldn't make it on Friday…" Kari went back to rummaging through her locker and glanced at her watch, attempting to hide her flushed face.

"Well," The other girl stammered in confusion, "maybe he's actually busy? I don't know, Kari… This is Davis we're talking about… Why did you ask him out in the first place?"

_There's got to be a reasonable explanation… Davis? Turn **Kari **down? I knew it. I just knew it. It's the end of the world as we know it._

"That's what I keep asking myself… I don't even know why I did it. It was just… Something he said to me – I couldn't help but feel…"

"Insane? Out of your right mind, maybe?"

"Upset. Do you ever stop to think how badly we treat him? I mean, maybe that's why he acts the way he does…"

_Kari, you've officially lost it. We need to get you to a mental institution while there's still any hope left. The world is definitely ending._

"Kari, he acts like a moronic jerk. Do you even know what you're saying?"

"I **do** know what I'm saying. Can you just listen to me?"

"I hear you and all, but he's an egotistical, self-centered, trouble-making little –"

"One of his classmates shot him with a gun last year and his friend's been in a coma for months! Of course he's upset, but he can't help it and you would have done the same thing!"

Kari clasped a shaking hand to her mouth, astonished at what she had just blurted out. She felt like she was going to cry. Momentary silence followed her outburst.

"W-what happened?" Yolei whispered, her mouth hanging wide open. Shock poured out through each syllable of her short question.

"He didn't really say all that much; June filled me in, mostly. One of the kids brought a gun to school, shot a bunch of the kids and ran for it. Somebody died. A boy named Zach… I think his heart failed. It's just… It's just so hard to think that I never even realized something was wrong. I… I'm sorry, Yolei, I didn't mean to yell at you but…"

"It's all right. Come on… We should get going." Yolei held her hand out to help the other girl up. "But… Who else knows? What happened, I mean."

Kari knew she was going to cry, but preferred to do it when she got home. Her eyes were watering all the same. "I haven't told anyone else… Not even Tai." The purple-haired girl put her arm around the distressed girl as the two of them walked down the hall to the exit.

"Do you think he should know?" Yolei asked, glancing at the shaking figure beside her. She took a moment to reply.

"I'm not sure."

&&Just Outside The Cinema, That Afternoon&&

Davis smiled, a shiver running through him as Sarah took his hand. He felt like his whole being was burning with happiness, just having her there beside him. His entire "bad day" scenario had just melted away and had barely left a trace.

"So, what movie are we seeing?" She asked sweetly, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"Well, I figured since you wanted to see The Fantastic Four so badly…" He laughed, and her head snapped up, her eyes gazing into his.

"Awww, Davis, that's so sweet! We don't have to see it if you don't want to, though."

"I want to see it, I swear!" He exclaimed quickly, squeezing at her hand. But she didn't say anything. Something seemed… wrong… "Sarah? You OK?"

Sarah's hand lost its grip on his, her skin bearing a chilling cold. She didn't respond, only stared straight ahead. Her face looked strained. She looked like she was in pain.

"Sarah?" He asked again, an edge of fear creeping into his voice. Then without warning, she fell, eyes livid, screaming in agony. Everything in Davis seemed to tense like a giant knot, panic seizing at his heart as he watched her hit the white sidewalk inches from the cinema. He didn't know what to do, he was terrified.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP HER!" He cried out as loud as he could, kneeling down beside the girl as tears ran down her face. Time itself seemed to have stopped. Nothing else mattered. He felt like he was going to be sick.

_No… Please… Not this… Not again…_

"SOMEBODY HELP! PLEASE!" Whether anyone had heard him or were even responding at all, he didn't know. He couldn't tear his eyes away, but the sight was too horrifying for him to bear. His heart was beating too fast and too loudly for him. He could hear sirens in the distance.

Ambulance sirens. An ambulance was coming.

His voice died in his throat. He felt as if he was going to collapse at any moment. Sarah had stopped shaking. She'd stopped moving at all. It was almost worse than her previous state, dragging tears down the boy's face as well.

"It's going to be all right, Sarah," He whispered, holding her hand tightly. He didn't even know if she could hear him. He didn't even know if she could breathe.

The sirens were getting louder, sending out a screeching wail that seemed to pierce the skies and tear at his heart. "Everything's gonna be OK…" He breathed, wishing with all his soul that he could believe his own words.

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lol, i really want to see that movie... i heard it's awesome!

I AM COW, HEAR ME ROAR! I AM LION, HEAR ME PLAY WITH MY RUBIX CUBE! (...)

So, i see you've reached the end credits. But this is far from the end - it is only the beginning. TO BE CONTINUED! (dramatic music)

One thing you must learn, Nia, is how to tie your shoes.

Ok, enough nonsense for today. I'm tired. So. Drop a comment, guys, i'd love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

simply just being (sjb)


	8. Gone

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, numa numa, clipboards, smart food, the fantastic four or Tai's eating habits. Just to clear that up.

vrais a pleche dar numa numa i-ay numa numa i-ay numa numa numa i-ay...

(imitates the guy's dancing) ok so i didn't see the fantastic four yet... (tear) but i will... mark my words, I WILL! I'm using the force - what the heck are YOU doing, Luke?

Response:

Poor Sarah. I hope she'll be alright. Yolei... grr, I HATE THAT EGOTISTICAL BITCH! Sorry, S.J.B. Well, I must say it's nice work so far. Good work. As a tip, always capitalize the "I" when it's a solo letter.

Yeah, she can really hit a nerve sometimes! Ummm... didn't I capitalize the "I"s? No? Well it was midnight when I wrote the last chapter so yeah... lol

wha... huh... ah, shoot! I just don't know what to say. You sure do go through a lot of plot twists, don't you?

Yup. And there are many more to come.

DUDE THAT WAS GOOD! YOU EVIL! CLIFF HANGER!  
FANTASIC 4 IS THE BEST MOVIE OUT THAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR! YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT! TRUST ME! DUDE IS SHE GOING TO DIE?

Yes, I am SOOOO evil! But as for if she's going to die or not... You'll find out in the next few chapters because I don't want to spoil it. But Davis is assuming the worst because the pressure is too much for him to handle.

Onwards to chapter eight (we're already at chapter 8? whoa...) and may the schwartz be with you!

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Chapter Eight: Gone

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&&At The Hospital, Wednesday Evening&&

"What the hell do you mean by that?" The brunette angrily yelled, his wide brown eyes shifting to the blank white door before him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Davis, please, this is a professional workplace… Try to have some common decency!" The older Motomiya sibling hissed in his ear, her gaze shifting from the woman with the clipboard to her brother.

He didn't even seem to hear her, though. He was too upset to be phased by her words, running a hand through his spiky hair over again and again. She noticed that the boy had been doing this a lot more lately.

"We don't know what's wrong with her – yet. We're going to have to run some tests to know for sure… We'll have the results a few hours from now." The nurse attempted to calm the boy down, shifting uneasily in her long white uniform.

The three of them stood in the Hospital hallway just outside Sarah Stone's door, discussing the current situation; and from what Davis was hearing, there wasn't all that much to discuss. This made him want to grab anything he could get his hands on and chuck it at the stupid girl.

_Look, lady, YOU'RE NOT HELPING ANY! _He fumed inwardly, suppressing his utmost anger and annoyance with the ditzy blonde. _Just tell me if she's gonna be alright, you brain-dead idiot!_

Davis pulled off his goggles and held them at his side, only half aware that he was shaking. He stood there glaring at her even though what he really wanted to do was throw up. Funny how things like this end up happening isn't it? Yes, that was sarcasm. Thanks for noticing.

"C'mon, Davis… Let's go home. Visiting hours are almost over anyway." June's face held a mixture of worry and sympathy, begging for him to let her leave already. She hadn't been all that comfortable with Hospitals since what had happened with the gun fiasco.

_Every time I'm here, I'm worried sick over you Davis. It hurts to see you so upset, don't you know that? I think a breather would be good for the both of us._

He nodded after an uncomfortably long moment, still grasping at the pair of goggles in his clenched right hand. "Yeah… you're probably right," he reasoned under his breath, willing his feet to move forward rather than give out on him. He felt like he could barely sustain his weight – let alone make it all the way out of the building.

The nurse gave a last worried glance over to the distraught boy, then checked her clipboard and strolled off to another room.

"You wanna talk about it?" She edged warily, waiting for his reaction with bated breath. At the moment, what the brunette would say or do was pretty unpredictable – bearing much resemblance to a confused Pitbull.

"It's all falling apart…" He whispered more to himself than to the teen beside him as they rounded a corner and headed to the elevator. He gripped the goggles tighter. "I can't do it anymore, June."

"Do what?"

"Keep pretending I'm something I'm not." He pushed the button on the wall, lighting up the small silver arrow. Davis could feel her staring at him but wasn't ready to look at her. Wasn't ready to let her see the tears forming rapidly in his eyes, though she knew they were there anyway.

"They're your friends, Davis… They can help you get through this. You know that, don't you?"

"Don't you get it? That's the reason why I did it in the first place! I didn't want them to have to deal with my mistake… They don't deserve it."

She stared at him, shocked. _It's not your fault… Why would you **ever** think that it was your fault?_

"It'll only make things worse for you…" She heaved a sigh, hand grasping at the marble wall. "I do it too, you know… It's not easy for me either – just the thought of acting so fake makes me want to gag. But the longer the mask stays on, the harder it is to take it off. And eventually… it just cracks, leaving you in a worse position than where you were in the first place."

The brunette boy had nothing to say to this, but luckily the elevator had arrived. June watched her brother carefully as she stepped in behind him, trying as hard as she could to figure out the thoughts spinning through his head.

&&Davis Motomiya's Bedroom&&

Just when everything had started going right again, everything had to go wrong. The brunette sat there, uncomprehending as to what he should do next. The pain in his shoulder came stabbing through him in some kind of moderate nudge, confining him to a somewhat comfortable sitting position on his bed.

_Everything is just so confusing… What am I supposed to do now? Sit here like a good little boy until they call me and tell me that my best friend – my girlfriend – is terminal? That's a load of Bull and they know it!_

He couldn't stop the flow of tears from falling, nor did he even attempt to stop them. His mind kept sifting like currents of water through a vast, black ocean. He was afraid. Afraid that if he should stop for just a moment, everything around him would come crashing down. Afraid he'd never recover. Afraid of what to tell the others. Afraid of a lot of things that he would never admit to.

_Could I have saved her? Could I have stopped all of this from ever happening at all? What if I had dodged that bullet? What if I had convinced Anna to put an end to the rumor she had started? What if… What if all of this was my fault to begin with?_

The physical and mental pain seemed to twist into a giant knot inside him, far more than he could handle. He badly wanted to break something in the room.

_It's all just too much… I can't breathe anymore._

Anger jolting through him, he whipped the goggles in his hand at the wall. They bounced noisily to the ground, lenses scratched white.

_I need to get out of here…_

&&McDonald's, That Evening&&

Tai sat there, inhaling the extra-salty McDonald's fries as if his life had depended on it. He had to admit that the greasy stuff could have a food group of its own – fruits & vegetables; milk; meat; bread; and McDonald's fries. Or something like that, anyway. He was just wiping his hands off when his cell phone started ringing.

_Oh, great… who's calling me **now**?_

"Hello?"

"Tai! Oh, thank goodness…"

"Hey, Kari. What's up?" _She sounds out of breath. What's going on over there?_

"Listen, we have a major problem – Davis is gone."

"What do you mean, he's gone?" _What? You can't be serious…?_

"We can't find him anywhere! He's gone!" The voice on the other end was cracking, breaking up into unmistakable sobs.

"Come on, calm down, we'll find him… I promise you, we'll find him."

"It's just – I don't know what to do, Tai! I just… I can't…"

"Kari, what happened?"

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A sign above you reads, "all your base... are to be continued." what could that mean?

Ok, i now give you permission to flood the reviews page. Peace out.

And long live Smartfood.

Sincerely,

Simply Just Being (sjb/noodel/smartest human being on the planet)


	9. A Look

HI GUYS! Sorry I left the story for so long I just had a terrible block and it wouldn't go away...

OK... So Harry must destroy the Horcruxes. Go Horcruxes. And Snape killed Dumbledore. Go Snape. And The Boy Who Lived kissed Ginny. Go Ginny. And I wrote Chapter 9. Go me. Just don't tell anyone... but I don't own Digimon or Harry Potter. Then again - tell all your friends!

Illegitimate responses to illegitimate reviews (just kidding!):

Hes Gone! Where did he go! To the digital world maybe, he isnt going to do something stupid is he, well please hurry I NEED to now what happeneds next!

Define what you mean by stupid. LOL

YOU HAD TO LEAVE AT A CLIFF HANGER! YOU HAD TO! UP DATE SOON PLEASE! WHAT HAPPENED TO DAVIS? DID HE KILL HIMSELF?

HELLOOO! Did I not tell you that this story fits in with the season? How could he die and still save the digital world? Feh. Suicide.

Creepy chapter. And evil cliffhanger. laughs evilly Nice work, AND MAKE ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!

Creepy? Evil? Well, that's my job - to be evil and insane! (laughs maniacally) I'm sorry... no cliffy this time... Just a heart-wrenching ending that'll still make you want to find out what happens next. LOVE YA DQ!

(Ahem) Is this a secret Horcrux? Is it a fake one? Oh, wait, it's just Chapter 9. ENJOY!

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&&Chapter 9: A Look&&

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&&The Black Jackets' Fort Conoway&&

The sun was setting, casting golden shadows across the sky in multi-color brilliance. An easy spot through the crooked window could see it all. What was it about this half-built tree house that made it so… homey? Was it the photographs strewn across the uneven walls of the former Black Jackets' members? The broken disco ball sitting in the corner? The fold-up chairs? It must have been something like that – why else would Davis have come here to think?

_Sometimes you just wish that you could know where you're going before you get there… It probably wouldn't hurt so much that way._

He sat in one of the animal-patterned chairs, staring at the sunset and thinking over everything that had happened to him from as far back as he could remember. That time when he'd gotten his tongue stuck to an icicle at the cottage and it started to hail on him…

How long he'd been there, he didn't know. It didn't really matter to him. He wasn't going to act like a fool anymore, let alone give another fake smile in his life. He wouldn't cry every night and wake up in the morning, shivering like mad. He was done with that. The question wasn't what not to do, but how he could rebuild his life… again. This just wasn't working.

The boy gave a sigh, removing himself from the rather comfortable chair. Too many emotions were running through him and Davis didn't have a clue what he was supposed to be feeling at the moment. Surprise, surprise, when he snapped out of it and found himself by the park. (A car nearly ran him over, bringing him back to reality)

_McDonald's… Could go for some fries, I guess._

Now that he thought of it, the brunette was really hungry. Only half lost in thought, he made his way to the counter. He glanced over to somebody yelling incredulously into a cell phone and was just about to tell him to shut it when…

"Tai?" At this, the older boy turned to face him, mouth dropping open.

"Kari, it's alright… I found him." He dropped the cell phone to his side, ushering the boy over. Davis grabbed a couple fries and his brown eyes shifted out the window. "Where've you been, Davis? Your sister's been worried sick about you!"

Davis didn't move from his position, still staring at the purple sky. "Fort Conoway. I needed to take a look at something…" Tai was staring at him, resisting the urge to grab the boy by the shoulders and shake him like mad.

"What's up?" He edged, completely freaked out by his protégé's behavior. Davis took another fry, lost in thought. "Davis? Are you OK?"

Davis finally turned to look at him, his eyes holding an intensity that scared Tai speechless.

"No, I guess not." He gave a small chuckle, shaking his head lightly. The older boy took a fry as well, desperately thinking of what to say.

"Does this have anything to do with Kari?"

"What _about _Kari?" Davis tunelessly replied, folding up the paper McDonald's box. Tai was looking a bit nervous.

"Well… she's going out with T.K. now… That doesn't bother you?"

Davis shrugged, his brown eyes scanning the other boy's face. _He just doesn't get it, does he? _"T.S. can have her for all I care."

Tai shifted uncomfortably in his seat, completely dumb-struck. He was at a loss for what to say. That's when he noticed that the younger boy was… shaking.

"Davis… I won't know until you talk to me."

"I – I have to go. See you around…" He gave one last glance at his former idol before walking out the door. Tears were welling up in his eyes, obstructing his vision.

_Just goes to show how little everyone knows about me… But June… I need to talk to her. She's the only one who can help me… If anyone can even help me at all._

&&The Motomiya Household&&

Kari Kamiya paced back and forth in the hallway, a sick feeling growing in her stomach. June just sat there with a grave look on her face, staring into space. In her hands were her brother's shattered goggles, the key object to his whole charade. His world of lies.

_I don't think I ever really gave him enough credit for his ability to move on from things… But I don't think he'll recover this time. Something tells me that he'll never be the same again - not when he finds out… _She wiped the tears from her eyes, following Kari's progress through the room.

After a few more moments of tense silence, the front door stirred. "Davis…" June hurried over to the boy, pulling him into a tight hug. He was shaking like mad, face drenched in tears, eyes horribly red. It was a heart-wrenching sight.

Kari just stood and stared, not knowing what to do. She'd never seen him cry before, let alone act like this. He'd never let her see it before.

His sister ushered him over to the couch, resisting the urge to cry over what she was seeing. "The doctor called…"

"She's dying, isn't she?" He croaked, digging his face into his knees. June put an arm around him, but he violently shook it off. He already knew the answer.

"Davis, it's going to be all right…" Her voice broke as she attempted to calm the brunette down. _I just feel so helpless…_

Needless to say, he left for his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. He collapsed on his bed, head spinning, eyes searing, heart aching… All he could wish for now was the oblivion of sleep – if sleep would ever come at all.

Kari stared after him at the closed door. "I should go…" She mumbled, giving a quick nod to June and rushing out. The other girl was left in silence – save for the sound of her brother crying.

She couldn't handle it anymore; June soon found herself in sobs as well. As she shut her eyes closed, a memory shot before her in her mind's eye.

(Flashback)

Davis was looking paler than ever, inanimate behind layers of Hospital sheets. June sat back in her chair, staring out the window and leaving Sam, Anna, Janie and Miko to continue their hushed conversation.

"That idiot… He actually ran for it?" Sam hissed with a disgusted look on his eyes. He shook his head in disbelief.

"I know – and there was a trial set up and everything. Where do you think he is now?" Janie asked quietly, glancing over to the other Black Jackets.

"Wherever he is, I just hope that I never see the jerk again…" Anna sighed, and the others nodded in agreement. Shifting from the bed caught the attention of everyone in the room. June quickly dashed to her brother's side, tears glinting as they rolled down her cheeks.

Davis let out a pained moan, his brown eyes snapping open. He made to get up, but she gently laid a hand on his left shoulder, motioning for him to stay down. "Where…" He began, running a hand over his face in confusion.

"The Hospital, Davis… You've been here for three days now." She whispered, somehow unable to raise her voice. "Are you OK?"

It was a pretty stupid question to ask, but he understood what his sister meant by it. He winced slightly, gazing over the faces of his other friends. "My shoulder's killing me… What happened to…"

He broke off, unable to finish his question. Sam and Miko exchanged worried glances. Janie was the one to speak up.

"Zach didn't make it, Mo… His heart failed and they couldn't do the surgery in time. And Sarah…" She paused; lower lip trembling, "Sarah's been in a coma since it happened. She hasn't changed much since yesterday."

It took a few minutes for the words to sink in and register in Davis' head. He didn't say anything, face unreadable, and his gaze shifted to the window. He blinked a few times, trying to keep the feeling of overwhelming agony at bay.

"Get out." He said simply, the pain showing through his harsh words.

"But Davis-"

"Just get out, alright?"

June stared in horror, hand clamped over her mouth. The look in his eyes… it just killed her. It struck her down like lightening. Retaining a small amount of her lost composure, she nodded at the others to leave. She gave one last glance over to her brother before exiting the room as well. She just hoped… She hoped more than anything that she'd never have to see that look in his eyes again.

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Wow. That was heart-breaking. How's that for sympathy? Just to show you that if that's how he reacted the first time... Thing's are sure to turn out simply AWFUL. (tear) I feel so bad for Davis...

Clutched in his hand, the necklace (or fake horcrux) gleams, "TO BE CONTINUED!" If you don't know what that means by now, you should get some serious mental help. No offence, but that's just plain pathetic.

Sincerely,

Simplato Justos Beingastos (SJB)


	10. Torn Apart And Inside Out

For a few seconds Ford seemed to ignore him, and stared fixedly into the sky like a rabbit trying to get run over by a car. Then suddenly he squatted down beside Arthur.

"Simply Just Being doesn't own Digimon or the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy," he said urgently.

"Fine," said Arthur, "Now let's respond to the reviews."

"She thanks her readers," said Ford. "They're all so loyal and smarter than her because they can spell. So she'll respond to them. Now. Then we'll go to Chapter 10 before Mr. Prosser knocks Arthur's house down and the Earth gets destroyed."

Poor Davis. I can see all the anguish in him. Sad story so far. Keep it up.

Oh, my ever-loyal DQ, how I do love bringing out the anguish in this sad little story... (Laughs maniacally)

The story is getting so much better!update-ya

Better? So what was it before? That's a nice compliment... Well L THINK it's a compliment... (Pushes yuffie off the end of the universe)

great chap! please update soon! it really a good story

Thank you! I absolutely LOVED doing the flashback...

Hiya! Good chappy! Oh, and about the lyrics in my story, Akira Bane, my evil sister, wrote them. Oh, poor Davis. I feel sorry for him! Is Sarah really going to die!

lol... Evil sister... I've got one of those... And it depends how she takes to her new heart. The chances are VERY slim, but she might recover...

How sad (sobing) Poor Davis and cary whats up with her I though she liked Tk but the way she is acting in this story...Im probably getting the wrong I dea well please hurry with the next chapter and try to make it longer.

Kari DOES like T.K. ... Though T.K.'s more of a supportive, best friend, might-someday-become-boyfriend type person... And yet, Davis' depth has captured her heart and knotted it into mangled little knotted things. She's just overcome by the fact that she never sensed or saw this in him... And T.K. and Kari are now dating so that should clear a few things up. She cares for Davis - but only as a HIGHLY concerned friend, though at one point she thought it was more. (Are you confused? Because i'm confused and so is she!) Let's just say she likes T.K., OK? GOOD! And about the length... I'm pretty sure that this chapter is longer than the last one. But i don't know. Let me just tell you that i'm trying to do that.

There was a terrible ghastly silence.

There was a terrible ghastly noise.

There was a terrible ghastly silence.

Simply Just Being wiped her forehead in relief and began Chapter 10.

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&&Chapter 10: Torn Apart And Inside Out&&

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&&At School, Thursday&&

The lunch bell had just finished ringing as the Digidestined group sat down at their table. Suffice to say, Davis and Sarah (though technically, Sarah wasn't a Digidestined) weren't with them – none of them had seen so much as a glimpse of them all day.

It was a one of those mild days; a few grayish clouds stood out against the colorless sky, hiding the bright sun every few moments. A few far-off buildings were hidden by misty fog, and the air was a bit brisk… No wind whatsoever. All in all, the weather wasn't all that great, but it wasn't bad either.

Kari Kamiya took a good look at the faces of the friends around her – T.K. Takaishi and Cody Hida seemed too wrapped up in their own world to notice anything around them, and Yolei Inoue was staring wide-eyed into space. Cody gave her a small nudge, bringing the bespectacled girl back to reality with an unpleasant jolt.

She readjusted her glasses and was about to take a bite from her sandwich, but dropped it down at the last second. Her mind was in a mental debate; Yolei just couldn't eat at the moment. "He isn't really sick, is he?"

The moment she had blurted the words out, she instantly regretted how blunt it sounded. _You're an idiot, Yolei! _She silently berated herself; _Cody and T.K. are sitting **right beside you**… What the hell do you think you're doing?_

Cody nearly choked on his food, though T.K. was still rambling on about his new skateboard. Clearing his throat, the younger boy gave a side-glance to Yolei.

"I don't know… but can we talk about this later, please? I'd like to eat my lunch in peace." Kari replied steadily, praying to God that she sounded normal. The purple-haired girl nodded with a frustrated sigh. With one last look at the neglected sandwich, she grabbed her lunchbox and went to throw the rest of her food out.

_Something's definitely going on here… And it doesn't look good. _Cody chose his approach carefully, "Kari? Are you OK?"

T.K. stopped in mid-sentence, smiling over at his girlfriend. "Of course she's OK! Why wouldn't she be?" He interjected, pulling the girl into a kiss. It was a brief, but adorable gesture. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to pull her out of her misery.

"No, T.K., I'm not… Listen, there's something I have to tell you."

The blonde's smile faded immediately, concern showing in his blue eyes. Kari opened her mouth to say something, but paused for a moment. She had to choose her words wisely or they wouldn't understand… But what was she supposed to say? That she'd been worried half to death last night? That she felt like an utter failure as a friend because she never even understood half of the things going through Davis Motomiya's head?

"I'm really…" She stuttered, voice shaking slightly, "I'm really worried about Davis." She sat there with bated breath, waiting for their reactions. She was met with total confusion.

"What about him?" Cody inquired lightly, glancing at his Rolex watch to avoid eye contact with her. Direct eye contact, he felt, would be bad in this situation. She would definitely feel pressured and wouldn't speak as openly.

"June had a panic attack last night because he just… disappeared. He was missing for three and a half hours and… when we found him… I'd never seen anyone so shattered in my whole life…" Tears welled in her bright, brown eyes, and her lower lip trembled. Cody and T.K. were gaping at her in complete shock.

"He just… left?" T.K. gasped in disbelief, "But Davis would never… I mean, I don't **_think _**he would ever do anything like that…" It was obvious that he didn't know what to think. Then again, who in his position would?

"What happened?" Cody whispered in a hoarse voice, stunned at what he had just heard.

"She's dying… She's dying and I know that it's tearing him apart…" Kari explained through muffled sobs, her whole body now trembling. T.K. held her in his arms, desperately trying to calm her down. Kari leaned in against him, head aching.

"Kari… What do you mean, dying?"

"C-Cody… Sarah's heart is f-failing…"

&&At The Hospital, Room 245&&

He sat there, glaring at the beeping medical monitor. Sarah's operation had been completed just a few hours before – the question was how she would take to her new heart. If all went well, the girl might be on her way to a slow but steady recovery. If not…

He winced slightly, cursing his shoulder under his breath. Cursing Sean. Cursing the rest of his so-called friends. Davis checked his watch, barely having need for the actual time. It was just something to do, something to distract him.

_How did I ever get into this situation? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was playing Monopoly in my old house with the rest of the Black Jackets?_

A knock at the door broke through his thoughts, throwing him out of his daze in a startling way. _Must be a nurse, or June… Maybe even her parents or… Kari? _He didn't even bother to wipe his tears away; they'd all seen him cry like this, time and time again.

I guess you could say that he was slightly shocked when T.K., Yolei, Cody, Kari and June appeared from behind the white door. He stared silently at them all, not knowing what to say to any of them. For once, his brain seemed completely jammed, a gleaming yellow "out of order" sign tacked firmly at the front.

Kari looked like she was about to cry, June resting a firm hand on her shoulder. She was watching the window with a hard look in her eyes, unable to look at her brother for fear of breaking into tears. T.K. was staring at him in a stunned silence, unable to tear his gaze from the tear-stained, reddened face of the boy before him. Cody was scanning the pale figure of the girl on the Hospital bed.

Yolei was the first to speak up, thoroughly uneasy in the long silence. "How is she?"

"Bad to worse. They don't know what's going to happen yet… but she hasn't woken up, and I know that's a bad sign." He muttered to himself, staring at the colorful flowers he had placed beside her bed.

"Davis, you can't face this alone. You and I both know that. We **_all _**know that… and that's exactly why we're here; we won't **_let_** you face this alone."

Davis closed his bleary eyes, nodding slowly, a solemn grimace lining his face. "I know. But… I just…"

"But nothing. Sure, you've been a jerk now and then, but we're still going to help you." She cut him off as she readjusted her glasses. Kari stared at the purple-haired girl in annoyance.

"Yolei!"

"Hey, it's true! I'm only stating the facts!"

"She's right, Kari. I **_have _**been a jerk…" Davis intervened in a quiet voice, shutting the two of them up immediately.

"But you had a good reason, Davis. Why didn't you ever tell us before?" Kari battled back, breathing heavily.

He sat down on one of the chairs and held his knees to his chest. After a moment, he whispered out, "Did any of you really need to know?" His voice was so soft that she'd almost completely missed his agonizing question.

Yolei and Kari stared at him, horrified at what the boy was saying. Cody finally looked up from Sarah's weak outline on the other side of the room.

"T.K., I think you should talk to him. Alone." The small boy murmured, giving a quick nod to the still-gaping blonde. June, Kari and Yolei exchanged glances of agreement, heading quickly for the door to leave the two boys alone. None of them voiced it, but they were all very eager to get out of the room – and away from what had used to be the liveliest of the Digidestined team. Away from the alarmingly still girl in the corner.

Once outside, the girls collapsed into heavy gasping, June huddling quietly against the white wall. The orange-y scent of Lysol hovered around the hall, doing very little to calm them.

"Cody…" Yolei's voice strained in a low tone, "what are the chances that she's gonna walk out of there OK?"

June and Kari turned to face the younger boy, half wanting to hear his answer but half afraid of what he would say. Kari took an anxious breath and held it.

"Minute."

&&Inside room 245&&

T.K. was staring at Davis with a bewildered expression. The brunette still sat there, hugging his knees to his chest, gazing silently over at the bed.

_Who is this kid? I've never seen Davis act so… lost. What the hell happened to him?_

The blonde boy shook the thoughts away, taking refuge in the other chair by the window. "Why are you doing this to yourself? She's going to be OK…"

Davis met his gaze, his brown eyes showing more anguish than he'd ever seen before. To be honest, the sight scared T.K. more than anything else he had seen or heard that day. "I don't think she is, Takaishi."

"You were never one to give up on people, Davis…" His voice shook, and he struggled to swallow against the lump in his throat. "Why are you doing this now?"

"I was never one to have that much hope in the first place. What am I gonna do if she doesn't make it? How am I supposed to just forget about her?"

_Don't say that… Please, Davis, don't say that… Stop talking like that… Stop shaking like that… You're scaring me…_

"If anyone can get through this, _you _can. All those times in the digital world… We'd all given up hope… But you wouldn't let it go. You'd fight to the end. You need to fight to the end, Davis. You _can't _give up…"

The brunette shook his head sadly, leaving his seat to stand by the window. T.K. followed him in silence, all the time in the world seeming to stop at that moment.

"You know something T.K.? Sometimes it just gets to be too much. It's too much for me." Davis winced, unconsciously pulling a hand to his shoulder.

"What's wrong with your shoulder?" He got no answer.

"Davis?" The blonde repeated, scared by his friend's pale face.

Davis gave a strangled gasp of pain, falling to his knees. Everything was a red haze in his mind, flashes of the past darting before him in terrible jolts. He felt as if he was being torn apart and turned inside out, everything in him screaming in total agony.

He thought he was going to explode, the nerves in his shoulder sending searing pain through his chest and down his arm. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't hear T.K. calling out to him as he crashed forwards into the ground, and couldn't drag the mental image of a blood-stained gun from his mind's eye…

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(sniff) god-speed, Mo. We all love you.

A big green flying saucer passes through the sky above you, and spray-painted on the bottom are the words, "to be continued". The Betelgeuse trading scouts must know something that we don't.

OK THEN! GO FLOOD THE REVIEW BOXES WHILE I GO READ THE ULTIMATE HICKHIKER'S GUIDE!

Sincerely,

Simply Just Being (Ford Thunderbird)


	11. A Reason To Lie

Needless to say, the beast was stunned.  
Whip-crack went his schwumpy tail,  
And the beast was done.  
He asked us: "(snort) Be you angels?"  
And we said, "Nay. We are but men."  
Rock!

I don't own Digimon... This is just a tribute...

(spoken)

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT? IS DAVIS GOING TO DIE INSTEAD? UP DATE SOON!

I dare not let him die... Yet he is to suffer...

That was so cool! I love it:)plz plz plz plz update...

One more request to update soon and DAVIS IS GOING TO GET IT!

Oh my gosh... DAVIS! Wah! My poor Gogglehead! She's going to die, isn't she? Oh my... Heh. I got that book. I spent about two days reading it. The complete collection. Two days! Shows what I do on X-mas break. But DAVIS! And why does Davis' shoulder keep on hurting him!

I haven't decided whether she's going to die yet, though she probably will. (I am WAY too evil for my own good...) I know - isn't the book awesome? I'm still reading. Pathetically slow, that's what I am... And wow, you do a lot on X-mas break! (lol) His shoulder keeps hurting him because the bullet tore through some nerves... And seeing as soccer is basically the only thing that makes him forget, he doesn't really allow anything to heal. Poor thick-headed Gogglehead... The one thing that makes him happy ends up putting him in pain and further damaging everything. (sigh) Unfortunately, the pills don't do much for him when he's that active...

Once more, another sad chapter. Apparently, they found out about Sarah and her deterioration condition. I hope they'll be okay. Nice work. Keep it up. adds author and story to favs

Sad chapters are my specialty. YAY DQ! It's been... What... Five days since your last review? (lol) Thanks for the favs!

hey! whats going to happen next! PLEASE! update soon! i need to know whats going to happen between T.k and Davis!

That's it. Davis dies. No more Davis. DAVIS GETS IT!

Thanks to Dark Qiviut, battusai-clau, Sora Potter, yuffiegal23, chocolatelover1, Shakia, Nyrocat and K.C. Raven (in that exact order!) for reviewing! You guys rock!

This is not The Greatest Song in the World, no.  
This is just a tribute.  
Couldn't remember The Greatest Song in the World, no, no.  
This is a tribute, oh, to The Greatest Song in the World!

Chapter Eleven? Already? Am I really that crazy? o.0 I guess so.

(sung)

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&&Chapter 11: A Reason To Lie&&

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&&At The Hospital&&

T.K. Takaishi didn't know what to say or do, kneeling down beside the brunette, face contorted by absolute horror. He fought to swallow the slight urge to be sick, willing himself to think that his friend would be OK. He **_had _**to be OK…

After a moment, Davis Motomiya's breathing evened out slightly. His shaking had been reduced slightly to a small shuddering, and he was muttering something under his pained panting. The blonde struggled to listen, suddenly unable to do much else.

"Sean… Why would you do this? I treated you like a friend and you just had to go and ruin everything… Had to bring that god-damn gun… She's dying because of you…"

The blue-eyed boy felt as if all the air had been knocked out of his lungs as he sat there, panic surging through him, slowly digesting the things his friend was muttering beside him.

"Davis… Come on, get up… You have to get up… Come on…" T.K. was finding it hard to think of anything but the despaired look in the other boy's eyes. He struggled to help the brunette up, an entirely new wave of unsettling confusion seeping over him.

"Davis, you've got to talk to me – I don't know what the hell is going on here!" His voice was wary and hoarse, as if he expected him to collapse again at any given moment. T.K. settled slightly into one of the chairs, staring at the floor as another uneasy silence fell between them. Davis stared mutely at the other end of the room, brown eyes fixed on Sarah.

"I love her, you know?" Davis whispered out, everything in him softening as he took in the features of her face. "I just can't get her out of my head. I never could. There's something about her… it just makes me want to believe so badly…"

"How come you never mentioned her before?"

_You can't be serious, Davis. Tell me you aren't serious… This just doesn't make any sense…_

"She was at the hospital for a while… I didn't really know what to think, you know? She'd been my girlfriend for three years… and I felt like it was all my fault…"

"What was all your fault?" The blonde struggled with the words, his head completely blank with incomprehension. Then it fully hit him.

_I don't know Davis at all. I barely know anything about him._

"Anything. Everything. My whole life seemed like a failure. And suddenly I was failing school, acting like an idiot and playing soccer. I don't even know how any of it happened…

"Just… Something inside of me… It hurt. It hurt for the longest time and I didn't know what to do. How am I supposed to feel happy that I lived, if I don't even like where my life dumped me?" He pulled his gaze away, running his hands through his spiky hair.

T.K. was horrified, hardly knowing what to say. _I never knew you felt that way… You never said anything… _"What happened to your shoulder?" He repeated his earlier question with a bit more urgence.

The question really seemed to strike him hard, as if stimulating a hard memory that the boy didn't want to think about. The younger of the Motomiya siblings seemed to hesitate, releasing his hands and depositing them on the chair's arm rests.

"Listen… I know you don't want to talk about it – but I really think you should." T.K. continued on, trying to lure his friend into an explanation. "Talking gets things out of your system; it does more good than bad."

"Anna really pissed the guy off."

"Pardon?" _What? What the hell is he talking about now?_

The brunette sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before answering. "I don't know why she said half of the things she said… It wasn't like her to be so brutal. Her parents had just gotten divorced, but I never thought she took it **_that _**hard. She always said she was fine… But when the kid put so much pressure on the subject, she took it personally."

"Divorce is a lot harder on people than they're willing to let on…" T.K. mumbled to himself, thinking of his parents. "What'd she do?"

"She started a bunch of rumors about him… She wouldn't listen when I told her to let it go. We **_all _**told her to let it go. Said his family was poor and he was just a fat retard that they were all supposed to feel sorry for… That's when it all became a mess."

"That's horrible…" T.K. shook his head in disgust, eyes wide, "Why would anyone do that?"

"Some girls just think that way… It's what they do… Well, everyone has a certain limit, and he was already at the edge. He'd been at the edge since he got there – didn't feel like he fit in at all. When he heard the rumors… He just snapped. Sean took it way too far this time. He brought a gun to school; he wanted to kill the kids responsible. Cause them the pain that they had caused **_him_**.

"I wasn't supposed to take that bullet, T.K. … And I still beat myself up about the fact that I couldn't reach her in time... When I woke up in the Hospital three days later…" Davis broke off, covering his hot face with his hands.

"Jesus Christ… How did June take it?"

"Another kid died… His heart just… stopped. They tried an operation on him, but it didn't take. Must've scared her half to death…"

He let out a small sigh, trying to recall everything he'd been told months earlier. "Well, let's just say things didn't go so well. As it turns out, I busted some nerves in my arm and fractured something in my shoulder… At that point, I didn't have much patience with anybody. There were only a handful of things that would make me forget - and sitting down definitely wasn't one of them. I decided to give up skateboarding once and for all because I couldn't handle it anymore. I needed to go for something new… And that's where the soccer comes in."

"So… Your shoulder… It never healed?" The blonde asked, meeting Davis' brown eyes with his blue ones. His friend let out a joking smile.

"Bingo. You think I ever let it? I play way too much soccer for my own good…" At this, T.K. laughed, the tension between them thinning slightly.

"That's for sure… But I can still whip your bony butt, anytime!"

"Oh yeah? Well I don't really think you can, T.C.! You're too busy being a basketball star!" Davis shot back with a chuckle.

"Well, **_you're _**too busy saving the world all the time!"

"Really? I was under the impression that I would just mess everything up!" Neither of them knew why they were laughing so hard, but it felt like a good wake-up call. Anyone looking in through the window would think the two boys were in hysterics.

Their howling fit only died down when neither of them could breathe for laughing so hard, T.K. and Davis gasping for air with smiles on their faces. And yet, there was something different about Davis' smile… Something T.K. didn't really remember seeing before – an actual reason for smiling, shining in his big brown eyes like a setting sun over glittering blue water.

_I don't think I ever gave him enough credit for being as strong as he is. If it had happened to me… If it were me, I would have fallen apart. But not him. He'd never quit trying… Maybe that's what being a leader is all about? Holding your act together when everyone else is giving up?_

_You really deserve to be leader of the Digidestined team, Davis. It's times like this that your big heart really shines through._

&&The Kamiya Residence&&

Kari Kamiya flopped down on her bed, eyelids clamped firmly shut. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Sadly, she knew there was no way she'd be able to sleep well that night.

_Why couldn't I tell? How come I never realized that any of this was happening?_

At the sound of a knock on her bedroom door, her eyes popped open to the sight of her brother. He was leaning back against the wall with a half-smile, his arms folded over his chest.

"Where've you been, Kari?"

Kari groaned, curling up into a tight ball on her sheets. She really wasn't in the mood for this. "At school."

"No, I mean after that."

The girl could tell something was wrong by the tone of his voice. She rubbed her eyes and took a quick glance at her watch. _It's 6:40 already? How did **that** happen?_

"Meeting with the others. Why?"

He took a seat at the edge of the bed, slightly hesitant as to what he would say next. Kari stared at her brother in confusion, hoping to God that he wasn't going to bring up the fact that she was now dating T.K. – or anything else having to do with it.

_Please tell me he's not going to do the whole "birds and the bees" thing…_

"It's… It's nothing. Dinner's going to be ready soon." He stood up, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Kari's eyes focused on the wall in unease.

_That wasn't what he was going to say… So what was?_

She was just about to lie down again when a small white cat jumped from the floor and into her lap. Gatomon gave a small smile, curling up in the girl's legs. "He's worried about you, you know… I heard him talking to Agumon."

"I know… But why?"

"You keep having those nightmares and coming home late. He doesn't want you to put yourself in a bad situation, even if it is to help your friends. Besides, he has a right to worry. He's Tai, after all."

"I know… But Tai doesn't lie without a reason."

Kari left her position on the bed, quietly peering . Out in the hall, her brother was busy dialing a number on the cordless phone.

"Matt?" He whispered into the mouthpiece, "There's something I've gotta tell you…"

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OK... So I'm not actually going to kill Davis off... I've already told you that I can't kill him... (sigh)

Strange words appear on your computer screen: "This is just a tribute… To Be Continued… This is just a tribute!" Wonder how they got there? 2 + 5 is 25.

Okay... I now give you permission to push that nice little button on the bottom corner on the page - and you can tell me once again how I destroyed everything. Unless of course you're DQ and have already reviewed the chapter which I purposely took down to make it better for you guys.

Sincerely, -simply just being-


	12. Dial Tone

There was a long silence following this announcement, which was finally broken by Arthur.

"Sorry, she doesn't own what?" he said.

"SJB," repeated Prak, "doesn't own Digimon, Life The Universe And Everything, Coke light, or Crayola markers - including magenta, green and blue - but has finished 12 fantastic chapters of an ape-written fanfiction located somewhere east of the Vesuvian Mountains in the vicinity of Burbleplex Five, just where the..."

"Sorry," said Arthur again, "which markers?"

"Crayola markers - including magenta, green and blue - but has finished 12 fantastic chapters of an ape-written fanfiction located somewhere east..."

"Which chapters were those? I didn't quite catch it."

"An ape-written fanfiction located somewhere east of the Vesuvian Mountains in the vicinity..."

"Vesuv what?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake just thank the people and get on with it," said Prak, and died testily.

Special thanks to Shakia, b0bo-the-sword, The Light's Refrain, battusai-clau, duskmon87, chocolatelover1, laughingcow, Sora Potter, yuffiegal23 and Dark Qiviut! Without you guys, this chapter might never have happened!

Shakia: awww, thank you! (high fives back)

b0bo: as I have stated already (so many times, mind you,that it makes my head spin just to think about it) I can't kill Davis. Which is very fortunate because he's the most awesome-est char on the whole planet! No... The most awesome-est charin life, the universe and everything! But killing Sean? With the state our poor (ex-)gogglehead is in, that may very well be possible.

TLR: lol it's a mystery how we all go for that, isn't it? ah, well... As for what would happen were he to suddenly show up? That remains to be a mystery... for now.

battusai: thankx ya! I'll try and keep it up!

duskmon: it's alright, I knew you had to say it. Actually, I'm pretty surprised that he hasn't jumped out a window myself. I guess he's mostly consumedwith loathing and anguish - the sort that would make him want to pummel somebody -not jump out a window. To be honest, knowing how he's all lost in thought, he'd probably just miss the ground anyway and end up flying... Not that he'd notice that either. For further tips on flying, please consult the totally-not-mine Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide.

chocolate: I know not of this "longer" concept you speak of... Care to explain that? My Babel fish got lost in translation. More tragic? Stay tuned... I think I know just the way to spring a plot twist so heart-poundingly awesome that it'll shock and amaze... Let me think on that one, k? Alrighty then! Thankx!

laughingcow: uhhh... oops.

Sora: Isn't he always? Sneaky ol' Tai... Well, he's not **_dead_**. I guess so. o0

yuffie: awwww! Thank you! I hope you liked the chapter!

Well, that's that...So without further ado, I present to you chapter 12! (How did we ever get this far? It never ceases to amaze me...)

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&&Chapter 12: Dial Tone&&

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&&The Park, Friday Afternoon&&

Yolei Inoue straightened up for the umpteenth time, letting out a desolate sigh. Her purple eyes shifted over to the slouching form of the young boy beside her.

"I'm just not really sure what to say to him and… Oh, what's the use trying to explain this to you?" She moaned listlessly, her face contorted by sheer frustration, "It's hopeless."

Cody Hida thought for a moment, gaze shifting over various flowers to the left of him. He glanced over at a particularly stout group of Delphiniums, contemplating what he hoped would be an appropriate answer. The boy's mind wouldn't give him one.

"Just talk to him, I'm sure he'll understand." The 10-year-old urged in a quiet voice, slightly unsure of the words leaving his mouth – not that he wanted Yolei to know that.

_Alright… So that's not exactly what I'd wanted to say, but it'll do… _

"You just don't get it, do you? If I don't understand it myself, then he definitely won't." She drummed her fingers on the wooden bench in obvious agitation, her mind wandering through complicated scenarios that all ended up in chaos.

_What is it with girls and acting like this? Any more of this bitter nonsense and I'll probably go mad. _

"Yolei, you're as strong-minded as you are persistent," he explained, lifting himself to a standing position. "If you have a crush on Ken, then do something about it. Just don't complain to me about it - my ears already feel like they're about to fall off."

Cody turned and scratched his slightly deafened ear. Before she could say anything else he walked away, leaving the bespectacled girl in a stunned silence, her mouth hanging slightly open.

&&Somewhere Not Quite Where We Were Before&&

Meanwhile, in a slightly distant part of the haphazardly assembled park route, T.K. and Kari chatted in a somewhat lighter manner. She gave a giggle as he continued on about his story about Matt's cooking gone terribly awry.

"He was dead set on making Escargot…" T.K. chuckled, taking his girlfriend's hand as they walked down the dirt path, "You should have seen his face when we told him to be the first one to try it." She laughed harder, pulling him in for a kiss.

Little did the two know, disaster lurked just behind them… In a bush, to be precise. Said disaster was Tai and Matt, grinning as only a predator can as it watches its unsuspecting prey. Tai held an exact replica of the Cheshire Cat's smug grin written all over his face, waiting for the perfect moment to make everything not so perfect…

The two kept walking, Kari desperately trying to hide her blush. She wasn't doing such a good job.

"So what happened back there? June said she heard you calling for a nurse."

The boy next to her stopped in his tracks, the hidden duo of mischief exchanging frowns at the sight of his face. Kari instantly regretted her words, a chilling anxiety flooding her.

"Do we really have to bring this up right now?" T.K. whispered, unease showing on his face. He heaved a sigh, letting his gaze drop slightly. Lately, this had been all she would ever talk about. She was fixated on it.

"Why won't you just tell me?" She exclaimed, expression incredulous and annoyed.

He paused, trying to find a way to pry her off of the subject. "Because if Davis had wanted you to know, he would have told you himself."

"T.K., please... Just tell me." She had such a determined look on her face that T.K. knew he just couldn't win.

_Damn that girl, she's gonna be the death of me… _

"Kari… He's just really messed up right now." He explained slowly, amazed at his own words, "She was his girlfriend and it's not like he's about to let her go."

The younger Kamiya sibling just stared at him, her breathing heavy and rapid. Tears were forming once again in her bright, brown eyes. After a moment she spoke, her voice wavering with every syllable, wrought with emotion.

"I just don't understand it… How could anybody be so cruel to do something like that? It's just... It's so horrible..."

T.K. gave a sigh, brushing a comforting hand on her cheek. "I know how you feel and all… But it's not all black and white and shades of gray. It's not so much of a cruel action as it is… As it is a provoked choice."

"Something like that should never even **_be _**a choice. Why didn't he ever tell us any of this?"

"Be honest, Kari - would you have told us if something like that had happened to you? Davis lent out his trust, and what did he get in return? He got stabbed in the back."

Kari had no reply to this and just stayed silent, biting down hard on her tongue. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days; words she never meant to say tended to just slide out from her. She swallowed her anger a bit in a few meager last attempts of salvaging her point.

"Of course I would have…" The girl sputtered, "I would've at least **_said something_**!"

He shook his head, his words icy cold. They seemed to drag through her like needles, penetrating her heart. "That's bull and you know it."

After closing his eyes for a moment, T.K. kept walking and quickened his pace. Kari struggled to catch up, calling out his name after him. She knew he was too far ahead and after a moment of chasing in vain, resigned to watching his fleeting figure with a horrified stare.

_I shouldn't have even brought it up... Dammit, Kari, why can't you ever just learn to keep your mouth shut?_

She turned to go, the tears finally falling once again. Tai moved to go out to his sister, but Matt held the leader back with a firm hand. The girl's brother was thoroughly confused, as he soon admitted to himself. Yet there was one thing he knew;

Davis had dissapeared two days ago... And he was the one who would have all the answers.

&&Motomiya Household&&

Shaking uncontrollably, Davis Motomiya snapped the glass eye piece in and out of place. Far beyond repair, these broken goggles seemed to be the only thing that would calm him down at the moment – if only slightly.

The boy wanted, more than anything, to hunt the kid down - and kill him. He wanted to punch him and kick him until the bastard bled and didn't move.

_But that would make me just as bad as he is. _

He aimed a punch at his bedroom wall, telling himself to shut up as a stinging pain seeped through his fingers.

_I can't... **I won't**... I won't ever be like him. No. Never. I couldn't **ever** be like that traitorous idiot..._

His eyes stung with the overwhelming amount of tears held at bay. He didn't even know what to think or feel, his mind fighting back and forth between anything and everything. He stiffened slightly as a brief memory battled its way through his thoughts.

_"Davis… I won't know until you talk to me." _He remembered the words clear as day and they rang in his ears, as if mocking him with their hellish din. _That's just it – he doesn't know. He doesn't know anything... I need to get out of here... I need to do something..._

After a brief mental battle with himself, he fished the cordless phone from a drawer in his desk. Call it a compulsion, call it a vague pressure of thought... Heck, you can call it the scattered remains of hope shoved togethor. Call it whatever you like, he needed to do something... And that **_something _**hit him within the instant that he punched in the first digit of the cell phone number.

&& The Hospital &&

June Motomiya couldn't help but stare blankly at the doctor clad in all white beside her. Actions completely failed her at the moment, as she found herself slightly lost in her own thoughts – a feat that seemed terribly unlike the girl she'd always portrayed before.

_She… Can't… Be… Can she? No. Never. Oh God, Davis… That just couldn't happen… _

"She'll be moved from the ward next week, at the latest." He gave a weak and extremely strained smile, the same sick feeling in his stomach as he got every time he was forced to tell people this.

In fact, it could be entirely possible that he reacted worse to it than the people he would be telling it to.

"Thank you." The teenager managed to force out, hardly able to say the words. She stood there for a couple seconds as the man departed, her mind reeling.

_Room 225. Sarah's in room 225. I need to get to the second floor. _

And yet, June was still unable to move. She was only snapped out of it at the tone of her cell phone, buzzing loudly in her pocket. She fumbled with the small device, punching the green button with a shaky finger.

"H-hello?"

The sound of her brother's voice rang through the phone, driving her fear slightly further. "June, listen… I'm going to the National."

"The skate park?" Her tone was incredulous, earning a couple stares from two nurses and a patient down the hall. There was a slight pause for a moment as the information fully registered in her head.

"Yeah. They're having a tournament... I thought… You know… I thought maybe I'd go."

" Davis… Before you go… Well, there's something I've gotta tell you…" She paused, unsure of how to explain. "Something happened at the hospital and…" June's breathing caught slightly in her chest, her voice a rasp whisper.

"No." His voice whispered back, "I don't want to hear it."

" Davis, please, you have-"

"I said I don't want to hear it, June. Is that so god damn hard to understand?" Anger tore through his voice, bringing his sister to the brink of tears.

"What happened to you, Davis? You never used to be like this…" The girl whispered back, jaw aching slightly.

"I never asked for this to happen."

She opened a mouth to speak again but the dial tone cut her off. Cursing silently, she shoved the phone back in her pocket, burying her face in her still-shaking hands.

_This must be one of those days, _she thought, _when everything goes wrong. Davis… You have to let it go. You have to let it go before this whole thing kills you. It's killing you… It's killing you and I can see it in your eyes. I can hear it your voice. You're dying... You're dying inside... _

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(sniff) it's... so... SAD! (bursts into tears!) Oh my, what's this?

From a distance you would scarcely have noticed it through the lightning and the storm clouds, but seen from close up it was strangely beautiful - "to be continued". It would not be particularly normal for you not to review, so I strongly suggest that you do so now (before your cousin Fransceska gets here) and leave me any wonderful comments, suggestions or critique that you have been burdened with since reading Dial Tone.

THANKX AGAIN FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS, AND THANKX FOR READING THE LATEST CHAPTER OF THE PHOTO!

Sincerely,

Simply Just Being (secret uber-ruler of the universe)


	13. Abysmal Disaster

Standard standoffish disclaimer: Go away. Busy. Don't own Digimon. Own this ode. Go away now. Bye.

One is lonely,  
Two is nice

Three is homely,  
Four's a price

Five is crowded,  
Six is split

Seven's loudest,  
Eight is **_it_**

Nine is OK,  
Ten is odd

Eleven's a number  
Straight from God

Twelve is local – but who's to blame?  
And thirteen… Well thirteen's a right old shame.

(An ode to 13 chapters by SJB)

Alrighty then. 13 is a most unlucky number. Superstitions everywhere roam free on Friday the 13th - which I'm happy to say doesn't happen until January. GO US!

Reviews:

dragen545: awww, thank you! Oh, and I'm sorry that I didn't answer that question in this chapter - I'll tell you soon, guys, I promise!

Sora Potter: Ah, well, Davis can try to pound the living daylights out of someone but I won't let him. lol GET THOSE BAD THOUGHTS AWAY FROM ME! And he DID have to give it up for his shoulder. He just thinks that its time he went back.

Mia Kamiya/The-3-Amigos/battusai-clau: Aww, thank you! Enjoy chapter thirteen!

duskmon87: Kari's just worried that he IS gonna jump out the window or something… And T.K.'s frustrated because he thinks she likes Davis or something. It's really funny, actually, because she's the child of light and sensing so much darkness in her friends now that this whole shpiel is all she can think about. Maybe she wants some reassurance, maybe she's just confused… Kari Kamiya is quite a handful right now, but no this is NOT gonna be a daikari. Daikari type stories make me sick to my stomach (spare for a select few, no offence) because I know that they could never happen. So if that'll clear things up a bit…

b0bo-the-sword: (pushes b0bo off a cliff) Finally, some peace and quiet around here.

Chibi-Kari: lol THANK YOU! And I totally agree with you. BE STRONG, LIVE STRONG! no problem - here's your next chapter!

dai01: nah, I don't think so. He didn't end up with anybody at the end of the season, remember? So I guess I can't do that.

DQ: Kari aint a two-timing wench. She's just the most annoying char on the planet right now, lol. (no offense to Kari fans about the way she's acting in the story) But I'm happy that T.K. did that... GO T.K.! WHOOT!

I'd just like to take a moment to thank all of you guys for being so supportive! You guys are awesome!

I now present you with the most plot-twisting-est chapter you've ever come to know in this story. It all comes down to this, folks!

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&&Chapter Thirteen: Abysmal Disaster&&

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&&The Digital World&&

Kari Kamiya shuddered in the cold damp confines of her safe haven. She'd been coming to this spot a lot lately; sometimes it was comforting, sometimes it wasn't. But in the cool darkness she felt she could think all that much more clearly on her own than with the others… And this is what she had come to do now.

The girl hugged herself tighter, tracing the faint goose bumps along her arms. Her argument with T.K. just wouldn't seem to leave her alone - even in the safety of her favorite place in all of the Digital World.

She lingered by the faint slivers of light, shining down through odd spots in the cool of the exotic forest.

_You asked one too many times, Kari… You should've known better… I wish somebody would just explain to me what's going on here! For all I know, that hot-headed jerk might've jumped out a window by now!_

Kari bit her lip for a moment, leaning back against the rough wood of a tree trunk. _I just don't want anyone to get hurt… Yet I ended up hurting T.K. anyway, didn't I? What if he never forgives me? What if -_

But she never managed to finish the thought. Her eyes widened with horror as her surroundings began to fade away into black, only to be replaced by the dark ripples of black water and stark gray sand, littered with windswept shells.

A crop of colorless boulders jutted out of the ground just a few inches behind her and the eerie breeze seemed to roll right through her, sending a high-pitched wailing over the beach. This dark, dark beach of despair and emptiness seemed to swallow her whole.

Kari fought the urge to scream, for fear that someone – or rather some_thing – _of this horrific place might hear her. Mouth wide open in silent terror, she stumbled backwards, trying to get away from this place. This evil, horrible place…

She had nowhere to go, the beach stretching endlessly on for miles to the very extent of her vision. She tried to speak, willing herself to calm down, but all she was able to manage was a hoarse whisper that only made the churning feeling in her stomach worse.

"The Dark Ocean…"

&&On A Bus, A Little Later That Afternoon&&

_Was it take the 34, cross to 51 and then the 100 – or take the 51, cross to 100 and then the 78? _Davis Motomiya groaned in aggravation, annoyed to the point of insanity over the complications of the bus system. The large vehicle pulled to a stop, jerking him forwards as he made his way to the front.

_Well, this wasn't it… I must've passed the stop without noticing… _

The brunette gave a sigh, exiting the screeching doors and stepping into the afternoon sunlight. He staggered across the street, scanning his surroundings with utter confusion. Now, if only he could remember which bus to take next…

He took a rather uncomfortable seat on a nearby bench for a while as the heavy thrum of cars passed in front of him. According to his watch, if he didn't get the bus soon, he'd most definitely be late for the competition – not that he was entirely sure of this decision. His shoulder was still searing lightly, pain washing gently over him. All in all, it didn't seem to be too bad at the moment. But what if it wasn't? What if he came out worse than before?

_Here comes another one… I think it's this one. It **has** to be this one. I guess I should try at least.  
_

Davis left his seat to greet the large new vehicle, clenching his ticket tightly. He made for the middle of the semi-crowded bus, trying to find something to grip. There didn't seem to be all that much opportunity for that, though, seeing as he couldn't really reach anything. His brown eyes glanced haphazardly over the occupied seats, conveying his boredom - not that it was particularly wise to be so bored when you're half lost.

What he saw made his heart stop. Wavy, dirty blond hair shadowed over a notoriously sullen face, dark circles looming beneath a pair hazel eyes – the pair of which had come to a crashing stop at the sight of him.

_No... There's no way... It couldn't be..._

He'd know that figure anywhere. It was one that haunted his fiercest of nightmares and tore at his heart by day. A person he could never forget, no matter how much he wanted to.

It was Sean.

&&The Takaishi Residence&&

"Oh, come on! You've gotta be kidding me, Cody!" T.K. Takaishi exclaimed, taking a seat on his bed. He turned to watch his friend Cody Hida pull up a chair by his desk, concern etched on his face.

"No – I'm serious. The thirteenth, T.K. … It's the thirteenth. Don't you get what this means?"

"Is it… Your parents' anniversary or something?"

"NO." The younger boy sighed, "It's Friday. FRIDAY."

"And…? It can't be your birthday… Your birthday's-"

"No, T.K., it's not my birthday. Put two and two together, will you? It's **_Friday the thirteenth_**. It's… It's…"

"You mean you actually believe all of that superstitious nonsense?"

Cody blanched. Ignoring the blonde's comment, he explained calmly, "It's notoriously unlucky. It's the omen of all bad omens. It's a sign for disaster – complete and absolute, abysmal disaster. Don't you get it?"

"No. But I **_do _**however think you might've lost your marbles or something."

"**_T.K.!_**"

&&Just Outside The Hospital&&

June sighed, head pounding as it retraced all the events of her horrible day. Her thoughts swam like water, skirting about like mad through her mind.

_I can't believe he's actually going... What's gotten into him lately? Well, I guess I already know the answer to that one, but still. I mean, it's not like I don't understand why he'd rather do soccer; he'd skated with that mental creep time and time again. He'd taken that jerk under his wing, for crying out loud! But to take away the last thread he had to cling onto... It was something else for my brother.  
_

_The strange thing is that Davis was like a **total pro** at it. He definitely didn't learn any of that from me, that's for sure. He had some kind of unique energy about him... Oh, great. Now I sound like I'm insane. But I mean, he's good with a ball and everything, but on wheels he's totally insane… It's just totally something else.  
_

_I need to call him after. He needs to hear it, whether he wants to or not. There wasn't anything he could do, but he just won't seem to understand that...  
_

June, not looking where she was going, walked straight into a pole.

&&Bus 51&&

For Davis, the world seemed to be in slow motion. He was barely aware of how constricted his chest felt, how his flesh crawled and how hard it was to swallow. He felt as if his lungs were freezing into a block of ice, his heart was on fire and his hands were not his own. His entire body felt numb and alien to him in that moment, all his senses clashing together.

The boy was vaguely aware that the bus was coming to a halt for its next stop, the crowd of people starting to shift slightly. His heart pounding hard, there was only one word that came to his mind now, flaming and churning inside him with a terrible force.

_**Murderer**…_

Even more shock ran through Davis as he recognized the dark object in the other boy's pocket – the one he was reaching for now. With an icy cold, hard look in his eyes, Sean pointed the gun at him. The brunette barely had time to brace himself as the first of many bullets spiraled through the air.

The sound was a mix of thunderous danger and the sharp tingle of breaking glass. All the anger and loathing and disgust in the world could not even begin to explain what the younger Motomiya sibling was feeling at the moment, and it threatened to engulf him completely.

Screams shattered through the bus, chaotic fear thickening the air. More bullets were let loose now, two of them making contact with flesh, the nauseating smell of blood strange and horrific.

Davis, filled with a horrible sense of déjà vu, ran forward and implanted his fist into the side of Sean's face. He aimed a few more blows to the stomach before the digidestined child received an unwelcome punch to the chest that successfully knocked the wind out of him, followed by a sharp jab of pain just below it. The brunette staggered backwards with a sickening force, his back colliding with a pole before he slumped to the floor.

A redhead to his right was scrambling to crawl away, partially clutching at a bloody knee. A four-year-old was crying near the back, clutching at the skirt of a lifeless figure. People were scrambling to get out every which way, the hellish din of voices and gunshots ringing through the air.

The child of courage attempted to try and get up, or to at least move, but didn't have enough strength to shift his aching body. His mind was clouded by pain, his eyes not taking in anything he was seeing. After a moment, the world melted away from him in a dark red haze…

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Now, don't you just love how I do that? Alright then, I congratulate you guys for making it this far. Go ahead and give yourselves a hand! Now, go flood me with reviews.

I TOLD you 13 is unlucky. This whole chapter was an abysmal disaster. AHAHA June walked into a pole... Now THAT'S funny.

What you think I'm NOT going to continue this? That I don't like Kraft cheese? That cheerios AREN'T awesome? WHO DO YOU THINKYOU ARE? (TBC) Well, I'm off to grab some pizza!

Sincerely,

Simply Just Being


	14. Can't and Won't

That evening it was dark early, which was normal for the time of year. It was cold and rainy, which was normal.

It started to rain, which was particularly normal.

Davis got shot, which was not.

There was nobody around to see it except for some particularly intelligent shades of the color blue and some fans of an ape-written story known as "The Photo" who hadn't the faintest idea what to make of it, or whether they were meant to make anything of it, review more, or what. So they did what they did to everything, which was to flood the comment box and/or run away from it and try to hide under each other, which never worked.

Coincidently, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject; all contexts in which the characters of popular show "Digimon" shown by Simply Just Being are completely fictional and not portraying the ideas and/or epiphanies brought on by the actual owners of the show. I repeat, I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON OR THE ULTIMATE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Any creatures of universe quadrant X23Z'4 who would like to claim otherwise (or even sue me) can take it up with my attorney or with Sir Zaphod Beeblebrox, ex-President of the galaxy.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also has this to say on the subject of local reviews;

b0bo-the-sword: you'll see... you'll see... keep reading, b0bo!

Chibi-Kari: he should be in jail, but his father got charged for the offense and he just got sent to a half-way house on probation for half a year. And you'll see for that one as well. Read on, Chibi! READ ON! Oh, thankx!

Mia Kamiya: YOU SAID IT! wow, just goes to show that friday the 13th really lives up to its reputation... but the day aint over yet.

dragen545: lol thankx enjoy!

yuffiegal23: oy, yuffie, i made it a little longer alright? ALRIGHT? ... At least i THINK i did... o.0 thankx for waiting! hope you like the chappie!

Sora Potter: oh, he **_will_**, rest assured... the little pond scum...

chocolatelover1: yes, he got shot again. oy, the things that kid goes through...

Dark Qiviut: was? WAS? he IS! lol thankx... i'll try!

battusai-clau: THANKX BATTUSAI! WHOOT YOU ROCK! it's kinda strange to have someone other than DQ review first... lol ... YOU ROCK!

Chapter fourteen... my god... already... how do things like these happen? strange, huh? well, here's what i say - we're getting really close to a hundred reviews so DON'T STOP NOW UNLESS YOU'RE BEING ATTACKED BY A PANDIMENTIONAL CREATURE! lol or just hang around, i don't mind. Just so you know, Krazonnemon is MY char and my char alone! He's cool. So deal with it, fool. Chapter fourteen for ya...

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Chapter Fourteen: Can't and Won't

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&&The Dark Dimension&&

Holding her unsure self, Kari Kamiya knelt down in the cool gray sand, willing her limbs to stay still. At the sudden pounding of footsteps, her body chilled over. Her stomach did a back-flip. Peering anxiously around, her paranoia mounted.

She nearly jumped out of her skin as a strong hand stifled her outcry, struggling against the figure behind her.

"I can help you," a low voice hissed in her ear, almost begging her to calm down. After a moment of struggle she spun around to meet the figure, fear making her heart race.

It was almost human, really… The gaunt figure of a boy a few years younger than her was emblazoned with something of a metallic quality, large arching wings spreading out from his back. A black top hat was perched along his hairline, matching perfectly with his jet black pants. His bare chest was exposed, riddled with flashes of metal and blue-gray skin. She stood gaping at him, mouth slightly open.

"Who-?" She began, but wasn't given the chance to finish her question.

"My name is Krazonnemon, and I think I know a way to get you out of here…" He explained, taking a quick glance over the horizon. The eerie moaning of the wind seemed to have intensified greatly, tugging at her light brown hair.

Noting the blank look on the digidestined girl's face, he continued on. "Yes, I know you're not from around here. But we have to move quickly… I'm not the only one who knows you're here."

She nodded, trying to regain some composure. Faint voices were barely audible in the wind now, fear grasping at her heart in a tight grip. Still grappling from shock, he pulled her by her arm, steadily leading her over to the black rocks tilting forwards at a dangerous angle.

Now closer to the frighteningly jagged edges of their base, Kari noticed a small crevice in between two of the large leaning boulders. After a moment, the girl realized that Krazonnemon was leading her in there. Her face went pale.

"Close your eyes…" He whispered to her, still leading her forwards.

Hesitating for a moment, she did as she was told. Her footsteps were unsteady, echoing off of walls of rock. Her senses jumped between calm and alarm, shooting off like sparks in what her mind kept portraying again and again as an ominous and terrifying place.

_Why am I doing this? Why am I putting all of my trust into this strange digimon that I've never even heard of before? What was I **thinking**?_

"We're nearly there… Hold on," the creature's low, striking voice shot through her thoughts, ringing steadily through – _through the what? Crevice? Place of torment? Death house? Forest? Ocean? Dangerous looking-_

She opened her eyes, not being able to bear the cold, clammy thoughts that shivered through her body any longer.

_Cave?_

&&The Takaishi Residence&&

"You can't stay mad at her forever, T.K. …" Cody Hida reasoned, attempting to knock some morals into the blonde's head. Sadly, T.K. would have none of it.

"The way she goes on about him, Cody, you wouldn't believe it! All she ever talks about anymore is that idiotic airhead!" The older boy battled back, smacking a hand down on the bed beside him and shifting onto his back with a grimace.

"Davis isn't an idiotic airhead and you know it. It's just the anger talking. Come on, just try and talk to her."

"Shut up, Cody - you don't even know what the hell you're talking about, anyway! Why don't you just go mourn your grandfather or something?" A silence followed his words and he glanced over at the brunette. Seeing the look on his hardened face made him instantly regret everything he'd just said.

"Thanks a lot, T.K. …" The ten-year-old shot back with an icy glare, "but I think I'll be going now... Good luck with being a total jerk to everyone else you know."

Cody snapped up, walking out of the room and taking great care to slam the door shut behind him. The blonde digidestined stared after him, breathing hard, listening to the pounding retreat of his friend down the stairs.

&&Bus 51&&

_No… I won't give up… I can't give up… _The brunette struggled against the restraining vision of red that weighed down on him from all sides. He could almost feel the breeze on his face, could almost smell the strong scent of pine needles…

'_**I can't believe you left it at a cliff-hanger, mo!'**_

_I won't…_

'**_Z-Zach didn't m-make it…'_**

_I can't…_

'_**I give her three weeks.'**_

_Don't let him…_

'_**That idiot… He actually ran for it?'**_

_He won't win…_

'_**Just get out, alright?'**_

_I have… to fight… this…_

'_**SOMEBODY HELP HER!'**_

_Get… out… of… MY… HEAD…_

What he felt next would be nearly impossible to describe – only experiencing this horrible, electrifying dose of agony could even possibly make you understand…

His heart was pumping too fast for him, his head was spinning too fast to process what was happening, and his body was shaking out of pure adrenaline. The entire scene was drenched in shades of red, all other people and objects shadowed and half-visible. His body was aching like mad, as if the entire world was crushing him to death.

There was only one thing Davis could make out properly; how indecently much he wanted to strangle the life out of that murderous freak.

Strength had left him long ago, but something had filled its place. It burned in his heart and in his mind. Pure, unadulterated hatred. Hatred so strong that the weakness in his body had been numbed entirely.

Barely even aware of what he was doing, the brunette hurled his black skateboard at the sandy-haired boy. The wood pounded into Sean's body, knocking him back into a blood-stained window. One of the wheels had caught him in the face and his mouth was doused with a dark stain that intensified with every passing moment.

Catching his nemesis off-guard, Davis rushed forward, slamming the criminal's bloody head against the scratched glass behind him, wincing at the barrage of blows he recieved from under him. The digidestined struggled to pull the gun out of the other boy's dangerous grip, fighting against the whiplash of a knee to his stomach.

Everything was a fast-paced haze of pain and writhing movement as the two fought to grasp at the weapon, the brunette throwing a hard punch at Sean's head with a dark red hand. His other hand grabbed at the boys throat, pressing him into a choke hold.

Sean, barely able to breathe and gasping for air, quickly countered this offence with a kick to the other boy's stomach, successfully knocking him off and backwards. It was then that he realized that something was horribly wrong.

With his one-of-a-kind Motomiya smirk, Davis held up a small black object that was cradled in his left hand. He struggled to force his arm outwards, face contorted by the horrible throbbing in his left shoulder. The pain in his body was nearly deafening.

The brunette used his other hand to guide the gun up, aiming for the other boy's heart, his own giving a lurch in his chest. The some-what blonde boy lay panting in his seat, waiting for the inevitable pain and suffering that was about to endure. He was going to die. Davis was going to kill him - just as soon as he worked up enough strength to pull the trigger. He'd fought between life and death… and he'd lost.

"Are you going to kill me, hero?" He forced his bloody face into a mocking smile (or as good of one as he could get) and clenched harder at the black plastic beneath him.

"Don't **_ever _**call me that." Davis' voice shook along with the rest of him, his unsteady arms wavering for a moment. He didn't have enough strength left to get it out louder, as much he wanted to scream it for the whole world to hear him.

"Hero, you can't do it. You know you can't. You don't have the guts to."

The brunette's aim shifted to the other boy's head for a moment and Sean flinched subconsciously, then his arms fell down to his sides.

"I-I'm not like you Sean… I'm not a killer. I don't betray my friends. I don't ruin lives. I'm not like you… Because I have something to live for. But don't you **_ever _**tell me that I don't have the guts.

"It takes a lot of courage to raise a gun, Sean," He whispered slowly, his voice echoing slightly behind him. "And it takes even more to let it go. But I don't ever want to be like you, Sean… And I especially don't want to see your god damn face in this town again."

Tears mingled with the fresh blood on Davis' face and he closed his brown eyes wearily, half willing them to stop. After what seemed to be an ageless moment, he opened his eyes again to find that he was all alone, standing in the middle of an empty bus with a gun in his right hand.

Shaking even harder, he let the small weapon drop to the floor, skidding out in front of him.

_I couldn't do it, Zach… I__… I__ couldn't do it…_

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Popcorn, anyone? No? Fine then, I'll just hog it all to myself... mmmm...

There's a strange message in your cereal; it says, "oooooooooo". Oh, sorry, those are cheerios. The actual message is, "To Be Continued".

Ok. Go flood the review box. Do what you guys do best. SEE YA!

Sincerely,

Simply Just Being ("oooooooooo")


	15. Frozen Peas

"Tears stream down your face

I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

Tears stream down your face

And I..."

Jewish disclaimer: what, he didn't go to minsk? what kind of man drags his kid across to Isreal and doesn't even take a picture? Oy, vey... you should have seen him at the seder, Rachel, the man wouldn't know matzah if it hit him in the eye. Oh, did I tell you about the time that your uncle Raymond shot a piece of matzah in his eye? He wouldn't stop qvetching all week! Ah, well, he had it coming to him. As SJB always says, never eat matzah on a full stomach. It leads a pretty little mitzvah girl like her to believe that she owns Digimon. She doesn't own it. She doesn't even own that Fix You song she was singing at cousin Yonah's wedding. But who'd want to own anything by Coldplay? The band drove the Jews straight out of Egypt!

Response to reviews:

battusai-clau: awww thankx! sorry I took so long... (I'm such a procrastinator, lol) I hope you like the next chapter!

Dark Qiviut: oooohhhh so my story is shiver-ful, huh? good to know dances to the killers song lol thank god ur not writing the story, DQ, otherwise Dai might be in jail!

Chibi-Kari: they all ran. because they're cowards. now gimme back the popcorn! (struggles to steal bowl and dumps it on Sora Potter's head) oops.

duskmon87: Trigun? craziness! yes, T.K. really does need to get his head out of his cough cough well, uhhhh... he can do that next chapter, lol.

The Light's Refrain: ohhh, gee, that'll be interesting. "hey TK!" "hey Kari!" "what's up?" "not much, Davis just got shot again." "..." "Kari?" "..." "Kar, are you OK?" (BOOM) heh heh

chocolatelover1: lo... longer? what is this... longer... that you speak of?

Sora Potter: sorry about the popcorn... honestly, you sound like someone from lord of the flies. CALM DOWN. don't worry, we'll put T.K.'s head on a pike yet.

dragen545: sarah? you really want me to get into details on that one? oy. well, please read before you go insane. i should like you to find out what happens next before it's too late, lol

Mia Kamiya: I know he's like a man with pms LOL! jokes, jokes, please keep reading!

yuffiegal23: oh, how I want to update... but it's so hard when you get these major cases of writer's block. SORRY GUYS! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! well, it's here now so you may as well go read...

"Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you."

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Chapter Fifteen: Frozen Peas

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&&The Streets Of Odaiba&&

He had to get away from here… He had to get away. The thickness and tension of the air haunted him, only daring his breath to slow… to stop… not to quicken as it did.

The gasping brunette pushed his way passed the throng of crowding people, shoving out the blare of sirens that flared insistently in his mind. They burned in his ears, getting louder and louder and louder still…

He clung tighter to his jacket, his hands wet and cold. He'd tied his jacket around his waist to keep the blood at bay. For now, all it served to do was put him in even more pain... And make him nauseous every time he looked at it. He gave a slight gasp, fighting against the needle-like jabbing pain that throttled through him even harder with every step. The boy tucked his tear-stained face lower, trying to hide from the people that didn't pay any attention to him anyway. They just stared on, lives going on as if nothing had happened at all. Time had stopped for him… But the world - the world did no such thing. It kept an infuriatingly fast pace that seemed almost nonexistent to him.

Davis Motomiya managed to push his way out onto a relatively empty side street, and into relative quiet. He stood still for a moment, blurry chocolate brown eyes gazing forlornly at the darkness around him. The silence seemed to stretch out before him and strain at his senses. Then the sirens broke through, passing quickly by and soon leaving him on his own again.

The sun was barely visible at the edge of the sky, casting brilliant shades of dark purple across the horizon. He didn't know how long he'd been running; everything had been such a haze of confusion for him. Night. Day. Right. Wrong. Death. Pain. Loss…. They were all meaningless words in a meaningless clash of dark and light.

Jaw clenching even harder, Davis started walking again, and then quickened his pace to a sprint. Was he running away? Or maybe running towards something? He didn't care. He didn't care about anything anymore... Save for the horrible ache in his soul.

_I need to see her. I need her… I need her to make things right again._

His lungs were burning with cold air, his whole body trembling. Buildings flashed by, nameless figures barely glancing at him as he passed. He didn't care. It didn't matter. The boy knew exactly where he was headed; his feet went autopilot on him again.

Silver numbers flashed before his eyes, holding no solace. _219… 221… 223… Room 225. It's room 225._

He paused at the white door, an aching arm pushing at the dark handle. He peered inside, mind now reeling. He stood there for a moment, heart pounding loudly in his ears. It wasn't what he saw that shocked him… It was what he didn't. Absence. A peculiar, ghastly absence. A dark flooding feeling of foreboding that mingled with the touch of his sweaty fingers on the pale, white sheets.

Sarah wasn't there. The bed was empty, corners neatly tucked into its pristine edges. She was gone. Panic seized in his chest, his vision taking in the surreal. He couldn't breathe.

_She can'tbe..._

His sweat-soaked shirt brushed up against the wall, his aching legs pulling him down into a sitting position. His eyes were stinging even harder, tired arms locking around his knees and beneath his pulsing forehead. One of his hands snaked around the back of his neck, heat pouring through them. His whole front was now soaked in red, no longer stifled by blue cotton sleeves.

A sudden vibration from his pant pocket drew his shaky attention. He winced, trying to shut the sound out of his head. Trying to dull the vivid recollection of pounding footsteps, ragged breath and the sky-piercing echo of gunshots…

His cell phone was persistent, chiming eerily in his pocket. _Relentless, stupid little thing… _The brunette's hand reached for the small device, pulling it to his throbbing left ear.

"Hello?"

"Davis, where the hell are you?" A loud, shrill voice hissed back, "It's 10:45 already!"

"June… Tell me you didn't know."

"Know what? Where are you?"

"At… I'm at the Hospital. June, she's… She's gone. Room 225 is completely empty."

"Oh, God… Please… Just come home, alright?"

"June-"

"Please, just come home. Promise me you will, Davis… Please…"

"I have to be here, sis. I need to be here. I need to be here now."

"It won't bring her back, Davis."

"I… I know that, but… I just need to be here… Let me be here."

"Come home," She begged, her tone unnervingly quiet. The boy shook even harder at the sound of her desperate words.

"I can't, June. Not now. It's… It's not my home."

Davis didn't give his sister a chance to say anything at that, hurriedly pushing the button to end the call. The boy sat still for a moment, physical and mental pain rushing through him. Something strong and sickening took hold of his bloodied body, making his muscles sieze far too fast for him. He clenched at his stomach, the forgotten cell phone slipping from his shaking fingers and crashing to the floor.

_With or without you_…_ Sarah, I can't live without you_…

&&The Cave Of Disarray&&

Kari Kamiya gasped at the sight before her. Mangled wooden chairs lay in a heap by the corner, black ashes littering the soft ground. The walls were stained with flashes of white and gold, a steel bucket hanging on a nail to the left of her. The cave wasn't dark, as she thought it would be – it was blazing with sparks of gold and red.

"How in the world…?" The girl whispered to herself, eyes wide with confusion. She glanced around once more, then over to a sheet of paper pinned to the wall. Strange markings covered the page in black and shades of moderate grey, swirling together and dancing in rhythmatic lines.

"You don't belong here," the young Digimon answered, gazing sadly at the piece of parchment. He let out a small, resigned sigh. "And neither do I."

He flinched suddenly at a sound behind him, emitting from the mouth of the cave. "Well done, Zachary…" A hollow voice echoed over the walls, making Kari's skin shiver. "You have brought the girl. Saberleomon will be most pleased… I daresay that he might even make you a pathetic human again."

_Krazonnemon… No… You can't be… _She turned to face him, breathing hard. Her hands balled into tight fists, heart racing with fear. She turned her gaze to the approaching figure.

"Yes, sir." He stared silently at the floor as the figure approached. Dark eyes peered out from the shadows. A tall, gaunt body separated itself from the blackness of the dark realm. Large, clenching arms pressed against the cave walls, successfully barring the only exit and bringing an aura of menace to the damp air. Kari could feel the goose bumps creeping along her arms and spreading out toward the rest of her body.

"She's a pretty one, she is…" The Virus menace cackled, the blue collar around its neck bristling slightly.

"Wh-what do you w-want with m-me?" The twelve-year old uttered in near-silent horror, taking an apprehensive step back from this new creature.

Krazonnemon glanced up for a moment, only to quickly pull his gaze away from the brunette girl to whom he'd offered his protection. The virus Digimon didn't notice his small body tense and his hands tug mutely at his black pants.

_He lied to me. He brought me here to die and I blindly followed him without a second thought. He brought me here to die._

"Your allegiance, my Queen…" It snarled out, pulling all the breath from Kari's body. With its next step toward her, she could finally make out the face of this terrifying creature; Cherubimon. A dark Cherubimon.

Krazonnemon took a deep breath and held it for a moment. His eyes shifted to the girl once more. His whole body was shaking in the shadow of the fierce creature beside him. There was only one thing to do…

"BLANCH MAGIC!" He cried out, stretching his left hand forward. White pinpricks formed in the air around him, shooting out at the Mega like dozens of tiny needles. Cherubimon roared in anger, knocking the barrage away with one of his large hands. Krazonnemon's face was pale, draining of all color. No, his face was white. His whole body was turning white, the flashes of gold and green on his chest glimmering like the sun.

"You fool!" The virus Digimon roared, the air around the massive creature shimmering slightly, "You will pay for your arrogance! You're going to wish you had never been born, you pathetic rookie!"

Krazonnemon was now completely white, his small features indiscernible beneath the bright shimmer that enveloped his whole being. Kari couldn't breathe, shutting her eyes against the horrible scene before her.

"_Go," _a voice hissed in her head, and she recognized it as belonging to the boy Digimon,_ "You have to get out of here. When I attack, run for it – you'll find the portal outside."_

"TERMINAL JUDGEMENT!"

"ANUBIS SPIRIT!"

"_**GO!"**_

The world exploded with blinding color, both beautiful and horrific. Kari cried out, heading for the only refuge that she was somewhat sure of. The cave exit. She stumbled blindly forward, tripping over her own pained feet. She had to get out. He could handle this without her… couldn't he?

_Krazonnemon…_

Her shaky body was running at full speed, a sharp pain inching at her chest. Everything was fading back to black… but no picture of an ocean met her eyes. There was no sand or rocks or anything familiar. It was like a blank canvas, driving her angst to the limits of her skin. She was surrounded by everything - and yet nothing at all. Still, she kept running. All she could do, all that she could be sure of, was to keep going at all costs.

One of her feet caught on something and she met the ground in a heavy face-plant. It was soft… Not the feel of sand, but of chalky earth beneath her skin. Something had changed. She could feel with all her senses that something had changed.

The snapping of twigs behind her caught her immediate attention.

"I hate to say I told you so," A low voice laughed jokingly, alarmingly close to her. She pulled herself up to meet the figure of a boy in a top hat and jet black pants. The small Digimon smiled smugly, glancing around him.

"Krazonnemon?" She breathed in amazement, her voice hoarse.

"So, what is this place?"

&&The Motomiya Household&&

June Motomiya grimaced slightly, tugging the black freezer door open. One of her hands rummaged inside for a moment while the other stayed firmly on her bruised forehead. She bit her lip for a moment before snagging a grasp on a green package.

She pulled the bag out, smiling at the sight of frozen peas. She heaved a sigh. Taking her hand of the painful mark just above her nose, she then replaced it with the frost-bitten bag.

"I don't know how anybody could eat this stuff…" The older Motomiya sibling muttered to herself, swaggering out of the kitchen and pausing every so often to wince in pain.

"I still can't believe I walked into a pole… I get more and more pathetic every day – just wait until Dana hears about this…"

June made her way through the hall, pausing to take a glance at her brother's room. It was a mess, clothes strewn everywhere, bed sheets tangled together, a lost pop tart taking refuge beneath a forgotten History textbook…

Something big and something blue. She nearly jumped out of her skin as it moved slightly, flashing a toothy grin. "Hiya, June!"

Her wide eyes still staring out incredulously, she chucked the bag of frozen peas at DemiVeemon and, with a small whimper of fear, fainted.

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Thankx for reading! I hope that's cliffy enough for you guys... I know how you love things left open-ended. Mmm... there was something I wanted to say. What was it, now? Ohhhh... Wait - tO bE cOnTiNuEd!

I'm good. Now go be good little children and flood the review box. lol... SEE YA!

(sorry for taking so long to post this up, I'll try to be faster with the next chap)

Sincerely,

Simply Just Being (secret owner of hopscotch)


	16. What In The World

"This is all very wonderful," said Fenchurch a few days later, "but I do need to thank all these wonderful people and apologize about how totally rude it was for me to get caught up in homework, the media, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. You see, there's this difference between us. I don't own So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, The Agronomist, ugly Paris Hilton**_or _**Digimon... But I do own The Photo and that's pretty good for a start, wouldn't ya say? Well, um, at any rate... You lost something and found it again, and I found something and lost it. That something was this chapter, CHAPTER SIXTEEN! Wouldn't you believe it?"

She had to go out for the day, so Arthur settled down for a day of telephoning and answering the following messages on his machine;

dragen545: BAH! QUIT IT! UR CONFUSING MY BRAIN! His whole point is that his old house is where he belongs, with the rest of the black jackets and june being twice as annoying and such. lol love sugar. love chocolate.

Sora Potter: Oh, uh... no clue. heh heh. wut's up wit Krazonnemon? You're soon to find out...

The Light's Refrain: hmm. doubt it. that'll be interesting to see... TO HEAVEN? ARE YOU NUTS? you're kidding, right? Oy, yes, Kari's gonna have a story alright... (i'll try not to hurt TK so bad, k?)

chocolatelover1: all cool heroes are thickheaded and stubborn... that's just the way things are. HANG ON THERE! lol :)

"Nothing to say, just pub talk."

ENJOY CRAZY READERS! I'll just be over here making crank calls to Arthur Dent...

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&&Chapter 16: What In The World&&

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&&The Hospital&&

His vision was blurring… he could barely see anything at all. But he could hear the strain of voices echoing through the halls, footsteps getting louder and faster, the drum of his rapid pulse…

_I love you, Sarah._

"He's over here! Come on, help me get him up!"

"Jesus, what happened to this guy?"

"Yes, chief… We have a code blue… What? Oh, yes, will do. Thank you, sir."

A pair of hands was tugging at his arms, stretching across his skin, as cold as ice. The entire world felt cold and numb, his insides screaming. Had he even realized who they were, he might have said something… had his thoughts resembled anything that they once were…

"He's not breathing…"

Davis Motomiya was lost to the two strangers now, unconscious and unfeeling.

&&The Motomiya Doorstep&&

"So tell me again… What exactly did you see?" Tai Kamiya leaned back against the pale wall, his hands shifting yet again through his thick brown hair. June was definitely **_not _**his favorite person in the world.

"Quit making fun of me, will you? It was this small, blue and white thing that looked like something that crawled out from your closet… And… And… It looked like Agumon!" She screeched, taking a hold of his shoulders and shaking him back and forth like mad.

He stood there for a moment, staring at her with wide eyes. Thank God she was too hysterical to notice how stunned the Digimon leader was. _Wait a second, _he was busy panicking on the inside, _she knows about Agumon?_

"Hold on, how-"

"It looked like it was about to attack me or something, Tai! You've got to help me!"

He removed her hands from his aching shoulders with a disgusted look. His brown eyes studied their surroundings, checking to make sure that the two of them were alone. June didn't seem to find his behavior strange at all, her face etched into a permanent frown. It looked like she was just about ready to turn on the waterworks, complete with wails that could possibly render the poor guy beside her completely deaf.

"How do you know about Agumon?" He whispered in a low voice, staring her straight in the eye. He was **_actually _**biting his lip with the most adorable look on his face ever. Cue June rolling her eyes.

"Oh, **_please_**, I saw you talking to that stuff doll of yours ages ago! What does it matter?" She raised her arms into the air, throwing her head backwards with a look of remorse, "Come on, Tai! Focus on the problem here! There's a… There's a **_thing _**somewhere in my house and I want to know what it's doing there!"

_Oh, boy. She's discovered Veemon._

"June, that **_thing _**of yours is Davis's partner."

She dropped her arms, breathing hard as she shifted her brown eyes from his face to the door and to his face again. Her mouth literally fell open at his statement. She was just about speechless.

Tai took that moment to capture her lips in his, pulling her body close to his own.

&&In The Digital World&&

"I've never seen a forest like this… Not in all my life," Krazonnemon confessed, breathing in the cool air with a giant smile on his small face. Kari Kamiya hated to admit it, but she was really enjoying his company. It was a nice break from endless complaining, witless humor and non-stop banter. Hanging out with the digidestined so much really took it out of her… but him… no, he was different from all of that.

"So what happened to you? I mean, um, back there… Dark Cherubimon was saying…" She mumbled, feeling slightly awkward. His face fell, his already dark eyes lost in black.

"I was called to the dark world, just as you were. It was so long ago, I can barely remember… The portal closed on me, and I couldn't get back. That's when Saberleomon found me."

"Saberleomon?"

"He threatened to kill me unless I helped him… Promised me a disguise in the midst of danger… He… He told me it was the only way." Krazonnemon leaned back against one of the trees, staring up at the sky. He seemed more distant than ever.

"That's horrible…"

"But then you come along… You helped me get back here… And I don't know how I could ever thank you."

She was silent for a moment, thinking. "But… You're still half data… How can you-"

"Get back to the real world? I don't know. I can't risk trying because if I don't make it…"

"I'll talk to the others. Maybe they can help you? And Cody - he's great with maps…"

"Thank you… Really, thank you. I owe you my life."

She nodded, pulling out her pink D-Terminal. If she was going to help him, she was going to have to sort things out with T.K. … and she was in for one heck of a ride.

&&The Park&&

"So have you asked him out, yet?" Cody Hida asked, drumming his hands on the bench beside him. Yolei Inoue shook her head with a sigh.

"Of course not… Like I'd ever have the nerve, anyway. It's just so… complicated."

"It's not that complicated, Yolei. But I could see what worries you."

"Meaning…?"

"**_Meaning_**, T.K. and Kari's friendship is practically ruined. They're hardly even speaking to each other anymore. I couldn't imagine what would happen if the digidestined broke up…"

A large beeping noise broke through the air, making the two of them jump. After realizing what the sound was, Yolei relaxed against the back of the wooden park bench. Cody pulled out his D-Terminal, gazing from the screen to Yolei and to the screen again.

"Well? What's going on?"

"It's Kari… There's trouble."

"What's going on?"

&&The Takaishi Residence&&

T.K. Takaishi slammed a fist down on his desk and threw himself on his chair. Great, now Cody **_and _**Kari were mad at him. Speaking of Kari - where was she, anyway?

He shook his blonde head with a grimace, turning on his computer screen. Maybe he could catch one of them online… Though he seriously doubted it. He glanced through his contact list for a minute before a new message caught him off guard.

_**T.K.,**_

_**The Hospital called; I think Davis is in trouble. Get over here ASAP – Kari, Cody and Yolei are already waiting.**_

_**Ken**_

"What in the world…" He breathed, rechecking the words again to make sure he understood correctly. Taking one last look at his watch, he pulled his hat off the floor and grabbed his Digivice.

"Takeru?" Patamon crawled out from under the bed, his small eyes still half-closed. He flew onto the boy's head and quickly settled into his partner's messy hair.

"The team needs us… Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sheesh, it's been a while. Anybody here seen The Agronomist? And can anybody remind me what the heck Paris Hilton is famous for? Honestly, what is this world coming to?

WELCOME MAT says WELCOME MATT, BUT YOUR BROTHER AINT WELCOME HERE. WELCOME MAT also says TO BE CONTINUED. That's quite a quaint little mat you got there, matty... Can I borrow it for a day or two? My arch-nemesis Shapiro is annoying me.

Drop a comment, people! See ya!

Sincerely,

Simply Just Being (secret creator of the "Rich And Famous" spell Araminus Spoon used on Pamela Anderson)


	17. Cody Is A Dead Man

Detective Machal Johnson looked me up and down.

"Chapter Seventeen? Little late for that?"

"What can I say? I owe it to them."

One eyebrow was slowly raising. "Okay. So this story isn't dead. But isn't there some kind of apology you owe these guys? And some disclaimer or something?" The detective type as he talked: sleepily. I could have input the letters faster into my cell phone (if I'd had one). Johnson's ancient computer looked equally slow. The screen was all one greenish color - the glowing letters fireflies trapped in mint toothpaste. "So you'd like to thank... yuffiegal, chocolatelover1, Sora Potter, The Light's Refrain, Dark Qiviut, and everyone else who's stuck by this fanfiction?"

"Yeah, definitely. I'd also like to point out that I don't own Digimon or So Yesterday."

"Are... you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well, if you say so..."

Jen nudged me, and Detective Johnson looked like he was about to take his hands off the keyboard, but I didn't let him. It was time we uploaded the chapter. I've kept you waiting far too long.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

&&Chapter 17: Cody Is A Dead Man&&

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

&&The Hospital&&

He couldn't ever remember feeling so fragile in his life. Ken Ichijouji kept flashing him worried looks, Kari Kamiya had already gone through three and a half boxes of Kleenex, Yolei Inoue was losing her cool as she punched something into her cell phone, and Cody Hida kept checking the monitors. Too many monitors. And he was hooked up to all of them.

"Well, can you just **_say something_** already?" Davis Motomiya croaked out, pushing the blankets further off his body. Yolei looked up from her text message, quizzical, as Kari yanked another tissue out.

"Your heart stopped," Ken said quietly, folding his arms. He leaned further back on the wall, his blue hair veiling the better part of his face. He could almost feel his best friend's blood go cold.

"And June-"

"She freaked out, yes."

Davis winced and pushed himself further up on the bed, snaking a hand around his bandaged stomach. The fabric was a sickening shade of maroon – just the sight of it made him nauseous.

"You … shouldn't be here…" He whispered slowly, pulling his hardened gaze to the window. Kari gasped and Yolei's eyes widened. Ken, however, wasn't fazed by the boy's outburst.

"Damn it, Davis – you got shot. Again. Your heart stopped. You had to get stitches – twice! The guys in the ER didn't have a clue what to do with you; your whole body's so out of whack! And you're telling us – your **_friends_**, who've stuck by you thick and thin – that we shouldn't even **_be here_**? Pardon my French, but that's **_bullshit_**!"

Davis turned to Cody, who bit his lip, and again to Yolei, almost as if he was deciding something. He then turned to Ken, who immediately softened at the look in his eyes. His brown eyes, so dead yet so hurt. He could almost feel the words die in his throat.

Ken continued hoarsely, "And you don't believe it, do you?"

Kari pulled the Kleenex from her reddened face to stare in shock at Ken. From the look on Yolei's face, she didn't have a clue either.

"Believe what?" Davis asked, glancing between Kari and Yolei in confusion. The room was quiet for a moment, the silence broken once again by Ken's cracking voice.

"You've got friends. And you don't trust any of it… Any of **_us_**…"

Davis couldn't meet his gaze, couldn't bring himself to see the look on Ken's face. His brown orbs locked on Kari's. He couldn't understand why her eyes were so wide and her lips were trembling. He couldn't understand why she was crying.

"No." He whispered, "You're right, I don't."

Even Cody was giving him a look like he was a lunatic. "W-why?" The younger boy stuttered, his being met by several nods and unapologetic stares. Davis was shaking horribly, his hand clutched tighter on his wound.

"It's… nothing against any of you. I just… I can't. Not yet. It's… complicated…" He trailed off, eyeing the shadow in the door's window. "You know, I think we have a visitor."

Davis let out a small chuckle before yelling, "AND THAT'S WHY TAKERU'S A DICKHEAD!"

T.K. Takaishi chose that moment to explode the door open and stagger, red-faced, into the room. "**_WHAT_**?" He practically screamed, tripping over himself to get near enough to Davis to throttle him. Yolei full-out lost it, collapsing into a laughing fit, doubled over on the floor.

"Just a joke, Takeru," Kari managed to giggle out, burying her face in another tissue to hide her blush. "He saw you coming."

"**_I oughtta kill you for that, Davis, you_**-"

"Easy, T.K.," Davis called warily, "I already flat-lined once today and my sister would rip me apart. It was… just a joke, you know?"

T.K. shrunk into a horrified stare, his raised arms falling weakly to his sides. "You… You flat-lined?" He turned to Ken for back-up, but he only got a wide-eyed glance and a slight nod.

"They had to shock him. Veemon was frantic – he didn't want the doctors to do it. I'm not sure where June was-"

"Wait," Davis interjected, "Veemon was here?" Ken nodded again, but T.K. was still staring at the both of them, terrified. Kari's hiccup jolted the blonde back to reality, and he turned to face her, shaking. She put the box down and studied the wrinkles on his shirt.

"So…" She whispered, struggling not to meet his eyes. He only nodded awkwardly and turned his attention to his shoes.

"So, I guess Davis is stable now, right? And… Kari… W-what I wanted to say was-"

She cut him off, waving a hand his way. "Just forget it, T.K. I don't want to hear it from you. How did you put it again?" She snorted cruelly, shaking her head, "Oh, yeah, **_'that's bull and you know it'!_**"

"Kari, I-"

But she was already out the door, storming through the hall and pounding at the elevator button. He froze, gasping uneven breathes, before running after her, praying to god that he could catch her before she left.

Cody stared at the three of them that were left in the room for a moment before letting out a large sigh. "So, Yolei, did you tell him yet?"

Davis gave a laugh as Yolei turned beet red, and Ken raised an eyebrow. "Tell who **_what_**?" The brunette edged loudly, the smile widening on his face.

"It's… a long story," she explained, glaring at the younger boy.

"Cliff notes version?"

"Simply put, **_Cody's a dead man_**."

Cody shrieked and ran from the room, only inches ahead of an enraged Yolei.

&&The Hallway&&

"Let the doors close, T.K."

"Kari, please…"

"Move your hand."

"Just listen to me, alright?"

"No. **_Move_**."

"Incoming!" Cody called, pushing T.K. into the elevator and repeatedly pressing the 'close doors' button in undeniable panic. There was a banging from behind the closed doors, and the distinct sound of Yolei screaming.

"You're dead, Cody! **_Dead_**! I'll kill you at the next floor!"

Cody paled and quickly pressed the 'emergency stop' button, an alarm sounding through the elevator as it skidded to a halt. T.K. and Kari stared at the boy in alarm as he sunk to the floor.

"T.K.?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell my parents that I want white corianders on my grave, will you?"

"Do I even **_want_** to know?"

Cody just shook his head and buried his face in his knees.

&&The Motomiya Doorstep&&

June kissed back for a moment before her senses came back to her. She hurriedly pushed Tai away, gaping in shock. He just blinked at her, biting his lip.

"W-what… What…" She sputtered, taking a step back onto the lawn and pressing herself against the side of the house. A steady smile crept onto his face as he moved to meet her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"What were you saying again?" He managed to pant out, thumbing the pocket of her jeans as he prayed silently, _let her be ok with this, **please let her be ok with this**…_

She just shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling the brown-haired boy in for another kiss. He pushed her back against the wall, moving his lips to her neck. She shuddered, clawing at his back as his teeth hit flesh.

"N-nothing. Nothing at all…"

He sighed and moved even closer, determined to line up every inch of his body with hers, before moving to whisper in her ear. "Inside?"

She smiled and clenched at his shoulders. "God, yeah…"

&&Room 217&&

Ken squinted at sat down at the edge of the bad, eyeing the bloody bandages on Davis's body uneasily. A million questions were running through his head, but he knew the answers to all of them. At least, he **_thought_** he did. He just couldn't understand them.

_I never **was** good at logic…_

Davis bit his lip as he watched the genius, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, Ken finally decided to start him off.

"Why?"

"Why **_what_**?"

"I know you too well to let you pull that oblivious crap. **_You_** may think you're that dense, but I'm not buying it."

"Can you just calm down, already?" Davis half-yelled, raising his good arm, "Cool it and rephrase the question, alright?"

"Why is it so complicated for you to trust the people who care about you?"

"Ken…"

"No, I want to know, and I'm not leaving until I get an answer."

"Ken, will you-"

"Tell me. Just tell me. You owe me **_that much_**, Davis!"

"Because I_ **trusted **_him, Ken.Itrusted him, cared about him, tried to solve his stupid family problems, put up with him kicking my sorry ass time and time again…I really did. And I'm sick of this. I'm sick of trusting people and having it blow up in my face.I'm sorry, Ken… I just can't do it, anymore… And then with mom and dad…"

"Have you told the others that your parents are getting divorced?"

"I wasn't planning on it, no."

"Davis…"

"Alright, alright, I'll tell them… God, you sound like my **_mother_**."

"I guess it wouldn't be a bad time to tell you to eat your vegetables, then, would it?"

Davis just squinted as Ken laughed.

&&The Elevator&&

Patamon poked his head out from under T.K.'s hat, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He yawned out, "What's going on? Where are we?"

Cody blushed from his seat in the corner and Kari let out a defiant snort. "In an elevator…" She snerked, aiming a side-glare at the blonde.

"Why are we in an elevator?"

"Ask Cody."

Patamon turned curiously to the younger boy, watching his face get redder and redder. "Cody, why are we in an elevator? And why is your face all splotchy?"

"Yolei Inoue… is after me."

Kari snickered, "And he thought it would be smart to press the emergency stop button."

Cody had a look of murder on his face. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," he shot back in defense.

"Well, congratulations, Cody – it worked. And now we're stuck like this."

T.K. chose this moment to interject, his blue eyes dangerously narrow, "Leave him alone, Kari. You or I would've done the same thing-"

"Oh, **_shut up_**, you self-obsessed jerk! Do you have to fight me on every single thing I say?"

"**_Kamiya Hikari, quit PMS-ing and leave him alone_**!"

It took two seconds flat for Kari to lose it. She aimed a rough blow at his head, T.K. only ducking just in time. He wasn't, however, able to avoid her foot…

Which collided with his crotch two seconds later.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ummmm... ouch? T.K. just got kicked in the nuts >. 

Machal stared blankly at the screen before typing in, "to be continued". You know the shpiel. Reviews welcomed - much so.

Sincerely,

S.I.M.P.L.Y. J.U.S.T. B.E.I.N.G.


	18. The Good Times?

So there I am, too-bright theater light and "What is this?" I say to Carma, shifting through the different fanfictions full of broken characters, it doesn't make any sense. "Are you actually uploading another chapter to the story? This thing is so... short! Why is it written like-"

"Because," with exaggerated patience, pushing back her mop of hair, even moppier than mine, "SJB's let this story slide for way too long. She feels like she's letting everybody down. It's the least she can do... Even if it is smaller than a kumkwat. Just thank the people and introduce the chapter, get it? You don't have to start monologuing on us."

"Thanks Ranawe, Stargiven, Sora Potter, The Light's Refrain, and Dark Qiviut. We don't deserve you guys."

"Yeah, and we don't own kumkwats, Talk by Kathe Koja, Digimon, or-"

"Show the people the story, please."

Her sharp elbow digging into my side: "That's you. Go."

"Um... Welcome to chapter eighteen, guys. We hope you enjoy it?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

&&Chapter 18: The Good Times?&&

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

&&The Elevator&&

_One._

T.K. Takaishi let out another agonized grunt and pulled his knees closer to his chest, slowly letting the breath come out. Inhale. Exhale. Count. That's what Matt had told him… Too bad it wasn't working.

"Kari-"

"No."

"Kari-"

"NO."

"Just apologize to him."

"JESUS CHRIST CODY, FOR THE LAST TIME I AM **_NOT_** GOING TO APOLOGIZE!"

_Two._

The brunette backed up against the elevator wall, shooting a terrified glance at the other boy, and then at Kari Kamiya. Her hands were curled up in fists and she looked like she was about to explode. She seemed to be having trouble breathing.

_Three._

"**_He_** should be the one to apologize. Not me."

"For **_what_**?" T.K. shouted, face pale. He was vaguely aware that they were both staring at him now, boring holes into his skull. He just kept his blue eyes fixed on the elevator door. The elevator… door… that… was… moving. "What the…"

A hand stuck its way in between the metal doors. "You guys?"

_Four._

Cody's eyes widened and he pressed himself back against the wall. "I'm not here…" He whispered.

"Yes, you are, dipshit." T.K. rolled his eyes. "There's nowhere else for you to **_be_**. We're alive, Yolei! Thank you for the heart attack!"

_Five._

The hand stopped and pulled out, an eye sticking its way to the thin crack between the doors. "T.K.? Are you okay? You sound like someone hit you in the nuts or something."

"Yes. That would be Kari."

_Six._

Kari blushed and pushed a thin ribbon of hair behind her ear. "Ignore him, Yolei… He's not himself right now. Can you get us out?"

"N-n-n-no!" Cody stuttered. "Y-y-y-you c-can't leave me out th-th-there with h-her!"

_Seven._

"I think so. The building people called a technician. He says he can open the door."

"No! Don't!"

"Relax, Cody. I'm not gonna hurt you… Yet. This place has cameras, you know."

T.K. raised an eyebrow. "Really? Where?"

_Nine._

The eye moved up and down. He assumed the girl had shrugged. With a sigh he took another deep breath and tried moving to his feet. Kari was staring at him – anxiously, now. It still hurt. A lot.

_Hang on. I missed something… I missed eight._

"Ughhh…"

&&Room 217&&

Davis caught Ken's arm before he had the chance to leave the room. Ken shot him a questioning look.

"Ken… There's something else I wanted you to know."

&&The Elevator&&

"Push harder!" Kari yelled. "I want out of here already!"

"Piss off, you stupid security guard! Almost… ow…"

The doors opened just enough for Yolei to stick her foot through.

&&Room 217&&

Ken turned around to face the bed. He caught Davis' eye for a long moment, thinking to himself.

"What… Did you want me to know?"

"I… wanted to tell you… I just… didn't know how…"

Ken squinted. "What happened, Davis?"

&&The Elevator&&

A loud jerk sounded and the doors slid open, lights and numbers popping up outside. A relieved-looking Yolei and two sweaty men in uniforms stood outside, smiling in triumph.

T.K. fell down again by the wall, wincing. Yolei rushed over.

"Jesus, T.K.! What the hell happened?"

Kari rolled her eyes and left the elevator. Cody blushed again. "You know what he said about… Kari being the one to… kick him… ahem…"

Yolei's jaw dropped. "Kari kicked you in the genitals!"

&&Room 217&&

Ken studied Davis' face for a long moment in concern, waiting.

"Ken… Sarah… she miscarried."

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TBC... someday...

Leave a message at the tone.

Sincerely,

S.J.B.


End file.
